title: The historical use of radiotherapy in the treatment of sinus infections.
abstract: The aim of this paper is to assess the historical role of radiotherapy in the treatment of sinus infections. This assessment involved a literature-based review of how radiotherapy was used to treat sinus infections in the first half of the 20(th) century. Low doses of x-rays were used with considerable success to treat nearly 3,000 patients of sinus infection in a span of 12 years with these cases being reported in leading medical journals as case studies. The mechanism of x-ray induced reduction of inflammation and increased tissue repair is uncertain but appears to be related to the development of a multifactorial and integrative anti-inflammatory phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.
authors.forename: Edward J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Calabrese
authors.forename: Gaurav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dhawan
keywords: dose response; history of medicine; inflammation; radiotherapy; sinusitis; x-rays