THE CURE FOR CANCER

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2150, 16 May 1914, Page 6

THE CURE FOR CANCER

MEDICAL LETTER EARLY DIAGNOSIS ESSENTIAL. (By Telfgraph.-gpecial Correspondent.) Palmerston, May 15. Ihe prevention of cancer by persons threatened by it was the subject of an interesting and longthy letter to the Hospital ■ Hoard on Thursday. The- letter was from'tho local branch of tho British Medical Association,' and was written by l)r. Whittaker, secretary of tho association.

"The practitioners in your district, " wro.to. Dr. Whittakcr, "are in constant intercourse with patients suffering from the disease, and, on comparing opinions, it is h'.-lu universally : by them that nearly all cases offer themselves for advico at too late a stage for successful treatment. In discussing the matter at a meeting of the British Medical Association, a parallel has been drawn between the present condition of publio knowledge of cancer and past conditions of tuberculosis. Some years ago it was tho custom for patients, to present themselves ,to us for diagnosis and treatment in the last (and incurable) stages of tuberculosis of the lunge. At the present time this is very rare. In discussing matters at meetings of tho British Medical Association, our thought then turned towards tho question as to whether we, here, could not initiate some inodo of informing the public as to tho necessity of obtaining an early diagnosis of'cancer. In. our own towii your board havo put tho matter before the public, and the question of a radium instituto for tho' North Island for the treatment of cancer received its first impetus in Palmerston North. It seems to us that, during the time which must necessarily elapse beforo the successful establishment of such an institute, there is something that we can do in preparing the minds of the public as to how they stand at the moment with regard to, cancer, and its treatment.

-. . ( Cancer and the Surgeon. •.From a'mass of facts, publishedwcek by week in.medical -journals, and from 'oiirown'actualexperience,- aided by tho action of 'the Town -Council' of the progressive i tbtviiv of Portsmouth, Engla'nd (which-has , a population of 250,000,. and which .is issuing leaflets regarding '■this disease) two facts stand out in relief. These are: (1) That .cancer, is* , a lopal disease.sta_rtiiig".in.<me place'.in' the body "(wherever-it .nia'y ; be), iand-not a general (or -blood-carried); disease: (2) That, if this ■ place is removed by excision in the'early stages, and.it does- not come again,, it is cured.' -Cancer is a curable disease. The essence of the whole matter lies ■ in finding it early, enough ■ to eradicate it. Leaflets for the Public.

Now, supposing, for example, leaflets (such as enclosed) containing data as to tho disease were handed to each adult hospital patient as ho or she left, and that one person who,read it, or his friend, had. a small Jiodulo in his skin, or elsewhere, of which he had hitherto taken no notice; supposing that-ho was induced by the leaflet (as ho certainly would be) to consult a' doctor, and it Was found to be cancer, and ho' was cured, that would .mean one death less from the most terrible, painful, and lingering disease known at tho present day. Translated into terms of commerce, .it would mean the saying of £1000 otherwise lost in work and citizen duties to the State. "Wo ask you, therefore, to take*-'.such' stops as you may deem fit to help us in tho matter. We' suggest issuing, monthly, in tho papers, the wholo enclosed statement, with the leaflet, as. a general counsel, and warning to tho public from tho board in connection with tho Town Council, whom we are approaching at tho same time, and also that copies of tho leaflet should be handed to every adult who leaves the hospital wards, and others, until further notice. Wo have appointed an executive committee to confer with you on tlje matter (if such is your wish), containing, among others, six members of the Hospital staff. It is our resolute purpose to ra»':e some progress in helping, as a small body of enrnest men, towards the eradication of a terrible disorder, and. we.-ask you to give us your cooperation. ' '', . Cancer as the Public sees It. The suggest*! public statement, enclosed with tho letter, emphasised that cancer is a curable disease, provided that it is treated .in • the early stages; that it is at first a purely local disease,' starting as a small swelling,' which can be cured by- immediate incision. Tho picture of cancer (says the statement), familiar to the public, . is extreme pallor, emaciation, and dreadful pain accompanying all stages of a stow and terrible disease is not the picture which should,, in, future, be a familiar one to the public. :■' The Real Picture. The real picture, and the one which is tho whole object of this statemont, is to make the "public recognise that it is something quite different. The dreadful picture indicated above is cancer which has been neglected until too late.- The • real picture, with which the public should be familiar, is a small swelling or nodule in the skin, or other part, quite painless, and which, although it gives rise to no trouble, may, if advice : is not sought, become caiicorous, and lead to the most terrible; widespread, and fatal disease'that we know. The • statement says that fear of operation, or a dread of knowing the truth, which deters people con-, 'suiting doctors would diminish if it were recognised that immediate consultation almost always means immediate cure. Many early operations would bo performed under a local'anaesthetic.