Basal cell epitheliomas after repeated fluoroscopic examinations of the chest

In two patients who received artificial pneumothorax therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis, many basal cell epitheliomas on the thoracic skin developed 26 and 30 years later. Pneumothorax therapy as done in the 1930s and 1940s required frequent fluoroscopic examinations of the chest for several years, resulting in a considerable cumulative dose of radiation. Skin cancer may now be developing in predisposed individuals after an average latent period of 25 years, making it likely that more of these patients will come to our attention.