TREATMENT OF CANCER

Hokitika Guardian, 3 May 1930, Page 2

TREATMENT OF CANCER

DR. P. C. FENWICK’S VIEWS

CHRISTCHURCH, April 29

“There is nothing new in it for it has been in use in many places for quite a number o'f years,” said D. P. Cleimell Fenwick, radium therapy specialist at the Christchurch Public Hospital today, when interviewed regarding the babied report, of the use of radon or bottled rays of radium jn the cure of. cancer in England. The cablegram described/he radon method as “ a newsystem.” Describing-,-radon Dr Fenwick said that it consisted of the emanation from radium element - :! collected and placed in tiny t'vibes not' larger tlmli a grain of rice. These were enclosed in gold arid iiU use 'vbre r ßuried' in ' the tissues 'of the affected patient, being forced into position so that ' they attacked the cancer -cells.

“This procedure has been in use for many years,” said Dr Fenwick, ’’and the Wellington Hospital has a radium emanation plant from which many practitioners have been supplied with, the seeds of tubes. I have, seen the treatment in use in different parts for some years and there is notthipg new in it. In this hospital we prefer to have the radium element permanently sealed in needles and tubes. These do not give, great pain to the jriitient in being .placed in position, and when the treatment is concluded the needles can lie taken away. On the other hand the pntipnt treated by the. radon method has to carry the seeds in the nffeete'djJQnrt. and it cannot he comfortable for a man to have a lot of little glass tubes in his tongue or somewhere else, for life.” Discussing the radon method of treatment Dr Fenwick said that radium emanation died after a short-life. Ral' the strength of the radon was lost in four days, and at the end of DO days the emanation was dead. “By using radium in scaled tubes as at this hospital there is no loss in strength, and we can calculate exactly the dosage the patient is receiving.” lie said. The advantage of the use of radium emanation was that if one of the seeds became last the loss in value was relatively small. On the other hand the loss of a tube of radium element might involve a cost of hundreds of pomfds. Against this the

greater life of radium element had to be considered. While a radon “died” in 30 days the contents of a sealed needle of radium element should have a lifeof 1000 years.

Dr Fenwick did not cast any doubts on the effectiveness of the radon treatment. “Radon is still radium,” he remarked, “but in this hospital we prefer the use of radium element.”