Radiation Oncology/Benign/Ankylosing spondylitis

Radiation was used routinely for the treatment of AS from the 1930s through the 1950s. It has since been largely abandoned due to the concern for secondary malignancies.

Treatment can be by EBRT, Radium-224, or Samarium-153.


 * Letter: PMID 15380611, 2004 &mdash; "Radiation therapy for inflammatory arthritis." Muscoplat CC et al. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2004 Oct 1;60(2):688-9.

Risk of malignancy

 * PMID 3814487, 1987 (1935-54) &mdash; "Long term mortality after a single treatment course with X-rays in patients treated for ankylosing spondylitis." Darby SC et al. Br J Cancer. 1987 Feb;55(2):179-90.
 * Mortality thru 1983 was assessed for 14,000 pts with AS treated with a single course of X-rays from 1935-54.
 * 28% increase in mortality from neoplasms other than leukemia or colon cancer. 3X increase in deaths from leukemia. 30% increase in mortality from colon cancer.