AID OF RADON GAS

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 27 September 1933, Page 7

AID OF RADON GAS

USE AS CANCER CURE .AUSTRAL I A N DEV EI,GUM. ENTS SYDNEY, Aug. 24. Remarkable developments in Australia in the use of radon gas in the treatment of cancer were described by the physicist in charge of the Commonwealth radium laboratory (Mr A. IT. Turner) at the conference of physicists held at the Melbourne University. He was actually able to tell a story of Government trading that had produced happy results. Mr Turner described the work that is being done with part of Government stock of radium. This was purchased at £lO a milligram, and the

market price has since increased more than 100 per cent. One ounce of radium j now costs approximately £(300,000. The ] valuable rays that .are used in the | treatment of cancer can he obtained 1 either from the use of radium itself • or from the radon gas obtained from it as a result of radioactive disintegration. The .Melbourne University now has two plants for the. generation of radon gas, and there is a plant in Sydney. From Melbourne the gas is sent to various hospitals in the State and to 'Tasmania. Gas generated in Sydney is sent to Brisbane by aeroplane. Tin 1 radon gas loses its effectiveness in a,; month or so. and consequently is not of great commercial value. Patients therefore could be permitted to leave | the hospital with the radon needle in; | position, but where radium itself is f used this is impossible. The advantage 1 of the gas over the rigid radium needle

is important. Encased in fine gold | tubing, the gas contained can be I moulded and curved to fit the eon- ' tours of the cancerous growth to which. ' it is to be applied. _,■ Mr 'Turner explained that as the rays given off by radium could he extremely harmful to the human_,body, special care had to be taken in the preparation of the gas. The .worker was shielded as much as possible by screens of lead of a thickness as great as six inches. The radium containers acre handled with long wooden forceps and the sealing and measuring of the containers were carried out as quickly as possible. The laboratory was equip- ■ pe l with a ventilating system capable ' of chailgrng the air~ifi the room once , every minute. In ease of accident the ! radon gas could he quickly driven from i the laboratory. The radon was trans- | ported to hospitals in boxes lined heavily with lend.