Radiosensitivity of Hela cells in various O2 concentrations and consideration of oxygen effect in radiotherapy

The aim of this paper is the study of the radiosensitivity of HeLa cells in vitro in various oxygen concentrations and the consideration of the utilization of oxygen effect in radiation therapy, based on the data of HeLa cells and tumor oxygen tension. Survival curves of HeLa cells are found to be exponential as a function of radiation dose and the radiosensitivity is dependent on oxygen tension of culture medium. Relative radiosensitivity decreases remarkably at low level of oxygen, especially under 9 mmHg pO2. The utilization of oxygen effect in radiation may be useful in hyperbaric oxygen inhalation and not useful under local tissue hypoxia induced by tourniquet application. Reoxygenation occurs with shrinkage of tumor after irradiation and this phenomenon will diminish the value of hyperbaric oxygen in radiation therapy. (author)