Thanks Wolfgang...I will discuss these numbers with Dr. T. at Scripps, in March...

Luba M.

Hi AP in DC, Australia Calling on AUSTRALIA DAY.Click on the Literature Page under Radiation therapy . in the first para- click on-" Published online" The window will open on the right of the screen showing Chapter 9- Morbus Dupuytren /Ledderhose. With the aid of the mouse scroll down to view the subject matter. Hope this helps I've just checked and it worked for me. The book costs 200 euro which I am told is not expensive for medical books. If you are still not successfull send me an email Click- My Profile -send an email- Newman . I can send you a pdf with the permission of Prof Seegenschmiedt of a paper he delivered in the US. It is somewhat similiar to that in the book. Dont forget to click on the return for your email address. Regards Newman.

Edited 01/26/10 07:13

Regarding the discussion above about second RT treatments and the maximum total dose an area should receive: I decided to pursue RT with Dr. T at Scripps, in part because of all the positive accounts about him I've seen on this site. [Also, the weather here is FAR better than in my freezing snow-covered part of the country, and it was a great chance to see my friends in CA. :-) ]

The protocol Dr. T is using for me is 2 gys per day for 10 days, for a total of 20 gys. As someone mentioned above, Dr. T said that if needed he could re-treat an area with another 20 gys. I told him that I had heard you shouldn't use more than a total of 30 gys on an area. His response (at least as I understood it) was that because the daily dose he gives is lower (2 gys v. the more customary 3 gys), 40 gys on his protocol is biologically equivalent to 30 gys under the 3 gy per day protocol. His 40 gys would be administered over the course of 20 days (2 weeks in a row, then a few months break, then another 2 weeks in a row). In comparison, the standard protocol is 30 gys administered over the course of 10 days (1 week, then a few months break, than another week).

So, my understanding from what he said is that administering a lower dose over a longer time period allows you to administer more gys with the same level of risk.

He also told me that he thought the risk of cancer in the irradiated area was significantly lower than 1 percent (at least with the protocol he uses); he said he thought it would be more like 1 in 1000.

I'm glad the info was helpful. Of course, people should ask him about it directly as well -- I think I got it right, but as a non-expert it's always possible I misunderstood something or other.