CANCER.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18904, 20 January 1927, Page 14

CANCER.

RESEARCH WORK. From Sydney University, where he holds the position of Cancer Research Biologist, Dr. W. Moppett has arrived in Wellington on his way to Dunedin for the Australian and New Zealand Medical Conference. Before that conference he will read a paper on cancer research.

Sydney University is making an effort to.come to grips with the cancer problem, said Dr. Moppett when interviewed. After the university had been working in a way for three years past a considerable sum of money was subscribed six months ago, and a constant potential ' X-ray generator, costing about £IOOO, was obtained from France. Selected cases are now being accepted for treatment, and at the same time the university is attempting to carry out pure research work.

"Of course we know absolutely nothing about' the causes of cancer yet," remarked Dr. Moppett. "Although we have collected a lot of interesting data ,we haven't anything definite so far. "There is no doubt that the prospects of patients can be improved by statistical investigation, by getting them early to the surgery, and that a lot will be done in the future. And there is no doubt that we must get on to something sooner or later. The problem is being attacked from so many different angles all over tho world, but up to the present, although many interesting discoveries have been announced, they have, not been eufr stantiated. One 6uch was Dr. Gyc's recent announcement of the discovery of the virus. Dr. Gye works for the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, but I have not seen that his' claims have been borne out.

"The old idea that cancer attacks the meat-eater exclusively has been abandoned. We know that all kinds of animals have been assailed by it. One factor may be that since people live longer they now die of cancer instead of something else. For we know that cancer increases in old age, and though I have not figures before me, I. believe that the average span of life which used to be about 36 years, has increased by 15 years.

"The principal thing which we need is statistical information, and it is hard to get that under proper conditions. There is nothing so unreliable as statistics."