Medicine: Phosphorus for Cancer

Deep-seated cancers can sometimes be treated by Xray, but the treatment sometimes proves dangerous, because the X-ray may injure normal tissue. Doctors have tried to find an X-ray substitute which would hit only the diseased target and not ricochet. Last week Dr. John Meredith Kenney of Manhattan's famed Memorial

Hospital told some colleagues in Cleveland that Memorial's doctors thought they had the answer. Their weapon, made by California Atom-Smasher Ernest Orlando Lawrence: radioactive phosphorus.

Radioactive phosphorus, which Professor Lawrence puts up in liquid form, can be swallowed, in minute quantities, without danger. At Memorial....

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!