[Effects of radiotherapy on plasma T 1/2 59Fe in patients with lung cancer and lymphomas]

The variations of the plasma 59Fe T 1/2 were observed in 20 patients treated by high-energy irradiation. They were submitted to a focalized radiotherapy involving a non-negligible volume of erythropoietic marrow. Among them there were 10 cases of pulmonary cancer, 7 cases of lymphomas, and 3 cases of seminomas. When treatment was limited to an irradiation of the thorax, no significant change of the 59Fe T 1/2 was observed in cases of pulmonary cancer or lymphomas. In case of a supra and infradiaphragmatic irradiation (lymphomas), the 59Fe T 1/2 (initially subnormal) tended to reach normal values after radiotherapy and seems to be independent of the initial value (before irradiation) and of the delivered dose.