CANCER TREATMENT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 118, 4 June 1937, Page 10

CANCER TREATMENT

Teleerapa— Preis A88onatlen.1

Centralisation Considered Necessary SOCIETY'S MEETING

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AUCKLAND, June 2.In bis presidential address to tbe annual meeting of tbe British Empire Cancer Campaign Society to-day, Sir James Elliott, Wellington, Said tbey bad to cope witb tbe gravest medical problem of tbe present day. "In New Zealand, as in many otber countries, ' ' be said, "cancer is tbe second highest cause of death, being second only to tbe large and somewbat ill-defined group of deatbs acribed to heart failure and degeneration of tbe blood vesesla. "In tbe year 1935, tbe last year for wbicb complete flgures are available, no fewer tban 1656 people died oi cancer in Kew Zealand. Tbe ftuffering associated witb tbis would transcend human powers of deseription. Tbis death rate equals 11.5 per 10,000 of tbe population. Tbe average death rate from infantile paralysis, wbicb eauses so mucb public alarm, is only about 15 a year for tbe total population of New Zealand. "In New Zealand 95 per eent. o± cancer occurs from tbe age oi 45 and upward and 62 per eent. from tbe age of 60 and upward. In 1935 713 out of 1656 deatbs from cancer, or nearly half, occurred between tbe ages of 45 and 65, so tbat tbese people of rich experience and sound judgment were lost at a time of life wben perhaps parents can be of most ubo to tbeir families or of most value in public and private affairs. "I tbink, in .general, we may say tbat we bave roused tbe public to some extent to realise tbat eacb and all are personally concerned in tbe cancer menace," he continued. "We bave stimulated bospital boards and we bave in a sbort period raised np a large body of bigbly skilled and trained voluntary workers. We bave, at our cancer clinics, treated with increasing success during the past seven years a total of 4909 new cases (1015 for tbis year), involving about 16,000 (3524 for tbis year) attendances. " We have maintained a cancer researcb laboratory at Dunedin and mueh useful work bas been done. The investigation of cancer is like tbe gradual completion of a buge and complicated jdg-saw puzzle of wbicb" little areas bere and tbere bave been fittcd togetb'er, but the full completion is still to be accomplished. The society bas, witb tbe help of tbe Travis beqnest, established a radio-pbysics laboratory wbicb is now to be removed from Wellington to Canterbury College, and wbicb is invaluable for testing and safeguarding tbe methods used by deep X-rays and radium for the treatment of cancer. Improvements in tbe use of radiation for treatment of cancer may remove to a large extent the fear of the knife whicb is a deterrent against sufferra seoking early advice and treatment. "We have tried to educate tbe public as far as advisable witb tbe fear in our miads of creating a cancer phobia. We bave kept in close toucb witb tbe Auatralian Cancer Conference, of wbicb tbe New Zealand brancb of tbe British Empire Cancer Campaign is a part, and we are alive to all new advances. "Sjxecial treatment for cancer must be centraiised/-' be said. "It is a public health problem and tbe emaller bospitals and centres must see that cancer patients requiring special treatment gravitate to tbe central clinics, wbere proper facilities for treatment are alone available. "If our raoney suffices, we hope to assist indigent patients and tbeir attendants who must come for special treatment to centres, our financial aid being over and above what can legally be supplied by bospital boards. Here is more scope for our charitable efforts. ' ' Altbough a large sum of money bad been collected in tbe Dominion for tbe cancer campaign, tbe bigb cost of treatment and the extended activities required further funds. It was possible for Otago, Canterbury and Wellington to maintain tbeir present organisations and Sir James said be was pleased to bear tbat an effort would sbortly be made in Auckland to provide sufficient funds for tbat district. Sir Loais Barnett, Dunedin, said it bad become a convention witb cancer investigators tbat no case should be considered as cured until five years bad elapsed after treatment bad ceased. The society was now in ita eighth year and a considerable number of completed cnres had been made. * Tbe report and balance-sbeet were adopted. Sir James Elliott was re-elected president, and Sir Louis Barnett and Sir Hugh Acland were re-elected vice-presi-dents. . _