title: Cervical-vaginal bacterial flora in patients with cervical carcinoma treated with irradiation and febrile morbidity during intracavitary radium therapy.
abstract: The cervical-vaginal bacterial flora of 57 patients with invasive carcinoma of the cervix were found to be identical to those reported in studies of different population groups, except for a lower frequency of anaerobic bacteria. Radiation suppressed significantly both the aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Following 4,000 rads of external irradiation, 47.4% of the cervical cultures were bacteriologically sterile. During the first and second radium treatment, 21% and 25.5% of the patients respectively developed fever of 38 degrees C or more, the cause of which could not definitely be established. The significance of fever during radium treatment is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000528:radiation effects; D001918:Brachytherapy; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000382:microbiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000528:radiation effects; D005260:Female; D005335:Fever of Unknown Origin / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011867:Radioisotope Teletherapy; D011883:Radium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000528:radiation effects; D013997:Time Factors; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D011883:Radium