[Pulmonary disease after radiotherapeutic treatment of carcinoma of the breast with fast electrons from an 18 MeV betatron].

Instances of lung complications observed at the radiotherapy division of the department of oncology, Greater Hospital of St. John the Baptist and the City of Turin in the treatment of 110 breast cancer patients with fast electrons produced by an 18 MeV betatron are described and compared with those noted 2 yr after TCT treatment of 192 subjects. Lung fibrosis was observed in 5.5% of cases 15 months after fast electron treatment, as opposed to 14.1% after TCT. The mean age of patients with such complications after fast-electron treatment was much higher than after TCT (70.16 yr as opposed to 55.55 yr).