CANCER RESEARCH

Hokitika Guardian, 4 September 1929, Page 2

CANCER RESEARCH

N.Z. BACKWARD.

SAYS DELEGATE AT MEDICAL

CONGRESS,

(Australian Press Association)

SYDNEY, Sept. 3

Over four hundred delegates attended tho opening sessiorf of tho Medical Congress at'Sydney University. The President, Doctor Abbott, in his inaugural address, said that, ..although thus far it iiad been impossible to get immediate results in the fight against cancer, the Congress would act as a stimulus to those attacking the problem. Professor Sandes, discussing this subject, said that the appalling destructiveness of cancer disclosed in the cases presenting themselves at the clinics was a pathetic commentary on the limitation of the power of the medical profession at present to deal with cancer, which was a great problem of the white race. Professor Sandes reviewed the Australian research efforts, and 110 urged concentration on further investigation with the fullest and more frequent consultation among the research workers. A cancer campaign, like a war, must ho carried on by a combined effort.

SYDNEY, iScpt. 3

At the Medical Conference, Dr Sandes declared that money was easy to obtain, but to secure research workers for cancer was much more difficult. Many brilliant students would become research workers, but for the fact that they had to face an ascetic life, deprived of many comforts enjoyed by tho ordinary artisan.

Professor McCollum, of Victoria, reviewed the various forms of research at Melbourne University, which included investiation into the gastric changes produced in cancer, patients’ tissue extracts, and growths in women.

Dr Myers, of Brisbane, dealt with experiments in Queensland. He said treatment'by lead had fallen into disuse, but treatment by radium wos making progress. One great difficulty

was to get people in the country centres to get early treatment for what they regarded as trivial, sores. Dr A. London (South Australia) emphasised the nerJd for propaganda.

Dt Burrows detailed the efforts of the Commonwealth Government in /the direction <of research, which mainly consisted of the establishment of radium clinics in various States. Sir, Louis Barnett, of New Zealand, declared that research in New Zealand had been somewhat starved, the Government having no money available; but ho was convinced that much could' be done, possibly without actually discovering the cause of cancer. Four large cities in the Dominion had raised funds for radium treatment.