Fletcher G H
Cancer. 1984 Mar 15;53(6):1274-84. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19840315)53:6<1274::aid-cncr2820530610>3.0.co;2-u.
A number of patients with cancer later develop metastases in the draining lymphatics, which initially were clinically negative. These occult deposits represent subclinical disease in lymphatic areas accessible to palpation, like the neck, axillae, and groin. The concept applies also to the microscopic disease left in an area after a surgical procedure is known to have removed all gross cancer, yet some patients later develop a recurrence. The term "subclinical disease" refers only to disease in a specific anatomic area, based on clinical facts. Radiobiological parameters account for the fact that subclinical disease requires less irradiation to be eradicated than gross cancer. The concept has two main applications, elective irradiation of clinically negative peripheral lymphatics and locoregional irradiation combined with surgery, which are determined by site and disease. The concept of subclinical disease also has implications for chemotherapy, which bear a direct relationship between chemotherapy both with radiation therapy and surgery.
许多癌症患者后来会在最初临床检查呈阴性的引流淋巴管中发生转移。这些隐匿性沉积物代表了在可触及的淋巴区域（如颈部、腋窝和腹股沟）的亚临床疾病。这一概念也适用于已知手术已切除所有肉眼可见癌症后，在某一区域留下的微小疾病，然而一些患者后来会出现复发。“亚临床疾病”一词仅基于临床事实，指特定解剖区域内的疾病。放射生物学参数说明了这样一个事实，即与肉眼可见的癌症相比，亚临床疾病根除所需的辐射剂量更少。这一概念有两个主要应用，即对临床阴性的外周淋巴管进行选择性照射以及与手术相结合的局部区域照射，这取决于部位和疾病情况。亚临床疾病的概念对化疗也有影响，化疗与放疗和手术之间存在直接关系。
