CANCER CAMPAIGN

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 16, 14 October 1943, Page 6

CANCER CAMPAIGN

Women Who Do Not Get Treatment Early RECOVERY PREJUDICED The prospects of cure were in direct ratio fo the speed with which treatment was adopted, said Sir James Elliott, when lie emphasized at the annual meeting in Wellington yesterday of the New Zealand branch of the British Empire Cancer Campaign Society the urgent need for persons who were in any doubt about their general health to seek competent medical advice. There had been cases of women with cancer of the breast for IS months before they sought medical advice, thereby seriously prejudicing their chances of recovery. Each of the four main cities had clinics which were not only for hospital patients but for private patients where persons suffering from cancer, or suspected to be, received the advice of an expert committee who pooled their knowledge to the great advantage of those needing treatment. It was a sad commentary on human intelligence that it was within memory that people were warned against thinking there was anything wrong with them unless they had severe pain. A member: The medical men cannot be entirely dissociated from that. Sir James: They are only human. It was reported that Dr. Ralston Paterson. of the Christie-Holt Radium Institute, Manchester, an expert on the radium and N-ray treatment of malignant diseases, would be visiting Australia shortly to advise the Commonwealth Government on the best methods of using radiology and deep X-ray therapy, on which the Government was going to spend another £lOO,OOO. -r. „ l The meeting decided that if Dr. Pater- I son passed through New Zealand he should be communicated with, but it was recognized that his visit to Australia had no direct application to New Zealand. Sir James Elliott pointed out that Auckland would have to make an effort to raise funds if it‘was to grade in with Otago, Canterbury and Wellington. Dr. Howard Gaudin replied that the money should be forthcoming. Officers elected were: —President, Sir James Elliott, Wellington; vice-presi-dents, Sir Louis Barnett (Dunedin) and Colonel Sir Hugh Acland (Christchurch) ; finance committee, Sir James Elliott, Dr. P. P. Lynch and Mr. A. E. Allison (Wellington). The balance-sheet, which is distinct from the district accounts showed an excess of income over expenditure of £3424. Assets include inscribed stock £20,811, inscribed stock held by the Otngo-South-land branch from a bequest of the late Mrs. J. Christie, £4406, cash in bank, £l4Ol, cash on deposit. £4247.