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BOOK REVIEWS
The Results of Radium and X-ray Therapy in Maiiynanl Disease. Third Statistical Report
from the Radium I n s t i t u t e , the Christie Hospital and Holt Radium I n s t i t u t e , Manchester, England, 1940-1944 assessed at 5 yrs. and 1934-193S assessed at 10 yrs. Compiled by
R. PATERSON, M. T O D and M. R U S S E L L . 165 p p . , 43 tables. $2.50. E d i n b u r g h : Livingstone, 1950.
Despite the difficulties under which radiotherapy in England labored during World War
I I , this report covers a total of 15,226 cases compared with 9,130 in the previous one. T h e
1939 cases had to be excluded because of the disruption of services a t the outbreak of war.
Technics of treatment were modified to meet the emergency conditions and radium was
employed whenever x-ray therapy was thought to give an equal chance of cure, particularly
in skin cancer, and many single-exposure technics were introduced.
The statistical method of " n e t survival r a t e " used in the preceding two reports, has been
abandoned because of the uncertainties involved in handling untraced cases and intercurrent deaths, and actuarial methods available are evaluated by the a u t h o r s . Instead, t h e
simpler "crude survival r a t e " has been adopted, modified in certain instances by a correction for age distribution, a factor representing the probability of not dying of any cause
within a stated period.
T h e tables, especially of P a r t I, analyzing the results obtained in the most important
sites, classified into early and late cases, are models of clarity and the accompanying commentaries are lucid, frank, and of particular interest from an organizational point of view.
T h e figures presented form a potent weapon for all of us, emphasizing the paramount importance of diagnosing carcinoma in an earl}' stage and instituting t r e a t m e n t without delay.
The tables of P a r t I I , although not strictly comparable with those in earlier reports
because of the change in statistical methods, show t h a t the results are steadily improving.
To mention only a few sites, we see a larger series of cases of carcinoma of the uterine body
treated by radium alone, now available for comparison with the reports of the Scandinavian workers; the crude survival rate was 36 per cent in 254 cases. Table X L illustrates what
can be achieved when recurrent carcinoma of the breast is adequately and vigorously
treated: an overall result of 19 per cent 5-year survivals, including nearly 50 per cent survivals of the early cases is a worthwhile result, even if 171 of 666 such cases were too advanced for treatment or refused t r e a t m e n t . T h e introduction of a short radium tube into
the center of a tumor of the maxillary a n t r u m , with or without supplementary radium
implants, has proved its worth. T h e 30 per cent five-year survivals obtained in 125 ovarian
tumors by the methods stated, including only 15 per cent of early cases, is remarkable. T h e
section on malignant disease in children is a valuable addition.
T h e results of treatment in histologically proved cases were found to be essentially
similar to the overall results in the sites so investigated. The section dealing with the
lymphoblastomas once more proves the relative curability of localized lymphosarcoma and
Hodgkin's disease (53 and 59 per cent five-year survivals). Although the group is a small
one, the 50 per cent five-year survival rate in 10 cases of medulloblastoma brings a raj' of
hope in the t r e a t m e n t of this group of tumors.
This book is essential for every radiotherapist and sets for him a worthy goal in his'own
efforts.
Chicago
E R W I N W.
JAPHA
Visceral Radiology. By E.MERIK MAHKOVITS, M . D . , Formerly Scientific Collaborator of the
Central Radiologic I n s t i t u t e of the General Hospital (Holzknecht-Institute), Vienna;
Head of the Radiologic Department, Elizabeth Hospital, Budapest; Post-Graduate Lecturer, Central Radiologic I n s t i t u t e , University of Budapest; Radiologist of the Sleiner
Cancer Clinic, Atlanta, Georgia. 612 pages, 6S2 figs. $24.00. New York: T h e Macmillan
Company, 1951.
In strict terminology the title of this book should be "Visceral Roentgenology". T h e text
is well organized, with a brief discussion of the pathologic lesion a t the beginning of each
section. The discussions are necessarily rather brief, an a t t e m p t being made to cover a wide
field in 562 pages of text. This is compensated by an extensive bibliography. The book is
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BOOK REVIEWS
liberally illustrated and each illustration has a complete legend which eliminates the
necessity of search through the text for explanation of what is seen. The illustrations, for
the most part, arc line drawings which have a considerable advantage over reproductions
in a book of this kind. When radiographs are used they arc, on the whole, well selected and
reproduced as negatives. The index is adequate. The book is most useful for residents in
roentgenology. The charts of differential diagnosis should be helpful to the beginner and
are limited to t h e essential points of difference. T h e sections on foreign bodies in t h e alimentary t r a c t could be more complete. (No method of demonstrating the location of a fish
bone in the esophagus is given.) Some of the other sections suffer a little because of brevity.
This is a well-made book b u t it is almost too costly for those who can profit from it most.
Eloise, Michigan
E . S. P E E K E
Color Atlas of Morphologic Hematology. By GENEVA A. DALAND, C.S., Chief Laboratory
Assistant in Hematology. Thorndike Memorial Laboratory, Research Laboratory Technician, Boston City Hospital. Edited by THOMAS H A L E H A M , M . D . , Assistant Professor
of Medicine, H a r v a r d Medical School, Associate Director, Thorndike Memorial Laboratory, Junior Visiting Physician, Boston City Hospital. Illustrated by ETTA P I O T T I . 74
pp., 14 plates, 9 figs. $5.00. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1951.
In this atlas, the new terminology (See Am. J. Clin. Path., 18: 443-450, 194S; 19: 56-60,
1949; 20: 562-579, .1950) is not mentioned. T h e authors s t a t e in the preface t h a t terminology
is not as important as the recognition of the significance of the findings from a diagnostic,
prognostic and therapeutic point of view. This statement is true for those who arc skilled
in the recognition of cells, b u t docs not apply to the beginner for whom an atlas is primarily
intended.
The atlas is well organized. The descriptive material is concise and generally well
written. Each of the 14 plates is accompanied by a description of cells, usually by a table of
pertinent laboratory d a t a , and by an interpretation of the hematologic and laboratory
findings. T h e colors are fairly good b u t are not consistent and in some instances, n o t true.
In many of the lymphocytes the cytoplasm is green instead of blue. The color of the
nuclei in the eosinophils in Plate I I is not accurately reproduced. The main differences of
structure of nuclei and cytoplasm between young and older cells are shown, b u t in a number of cells the details of structure are inadequate.
In general, however, t h e atlas is useful.
Eloise, Michigan
ELIZABETH WHITEHOUSE