PUZZLE OF CANCER

Hokitika Guardian, 22 September 1932, Page 8

PUZZLE OF CANCER

NO ANSWER: YET. THE MEDICAL AND LAY VIEWS CHRISTCHURCH,. Sept. 20. cause of cancer" still ; eludes: Us’ I' do-hot think \Vb should fee) disappointed. As one authority Said we have learnt, in the- last ' twenty years,, more about cancer than in'the proceeding thirty centuries, which covev tile recorded history of' medicine," said Dr A. B. Pearson, pathologist, at Christchurch. Hospital, in an address yestefday t<> the ' ahhual meeting of Uhe Canterbury, Marlborough,'' 'Nfehon and Westland division of the NeW Zfealand- branch of the British Empire C'ancdr.'Campaign Society. .“And we 'hia’y solve the question of successful treatment) of cancer befbre :we • discover the cause. He added, ' “We have many instances of this m medicine but without dcubt the most noticeable instance is the successful measures Which followed the adoption of suitable diet and insulin in diabetes, and the use of liver or other internal extracts, in the treatment of pernicious anaemia. In both ca#es treatment* is highly successful and yet we are totally unaware of the causes of these- two diseases.”

WHAT IS CANCER, They were, not yet in-n position to answer the question, “What is cancer”? said Df'“ Pear-son. “They de.i--.'ribctd it as a malignant growth be M.use it destroyed the healthy cells of tile- issue or -organ and because it. '’ad ability to .be carried or spread to vitliet parts of- the body and there’ prodlice. the same■■.destructive'-' process.■ 1 Cn this"way;it differed from the- other. treat group, of simple tumours which' :>»rew but remained- looal, and • which lid 'not destroy normal healthy cells.,

Generally speaking the- cancer > grew quickly. It; was quite ui'lspe-ni uit of the ' coAimdni weal, eft edetmued to grow and obtained its necessary food supplies at the expense of other* normal! tissues and organs of (he body, pindlly tbe. rtid-iced' tb':a:-'-h,a'tl-ow, (but the cancer oo'it-’iiu-.jJ to flemish jaridfgfdwi until :(pfti- v re;f • 1 drib releiisOdi'thb' victim.. ’■■■**.■ ’?> ■-' ' • ''■ ! , - .- v

THE LAYMAN’S CONCEPTION, “I am not quite sure if I know what the iaymahJs conception of cancer ißyy Hr 'Pearson * added; “If you ask him le speaks- of something, -eating t away lie'vital- organs or some structure esr senfia.l to life.-- 1 - would like to clear the lair a little. Cancer eon grow in almost,any. part of the* < body, in the ffciii, in. -the tongue,, .the lung, the breast, - stomach, liveif and kiduey to •mention apfewp-but- wbht-i jnwish i-laia -is this:- a cancer, .say, of theskiri, develops from a cell taking, part ip the formation, of* the skin.- If we were • to- take -a' single Pell from any one! cancer -type-, say> for instance, a cell' from a* skin c micer, * and. compare,, it Under a raiscuope -with,, normal, healthy! skin ' cells 1, we would not -be able l , to differentiate- 1 -between- the* two.; S-imk larly with any of-the -cancers it -is only when-; w-ei 'see the cells on masse and . lofe theip disorderly arrangement and "heir* abnormal relations- in , regard,, to; thdir law-abiding ■ rion-caucerous-- neighbours- that- We-are able l to. say -that- we .are? dealing with- a cancer, It is the ieltevioup-of the--cells-and not their: structure -.which.- determines the maligifancy.'.' I am*, speaking -now as .amifefoscopist* and I, want-, you to realise* that we have many, varieties i,ov, caricdr depending- • on. . the organ-or tissue - from which the cancer originates. '?:*■ ’ u ' '' -■■ •• . -■ ! "7‘j ’. ’’ I • ■

MANY THEORIES. - “Why has this particular skin cell: or breast cell suddenly run amok?. That we do not know yet, Many theories have- been advanced., 1 do not intend to tell you all -of-.these' thdories.- All, I would, say,- in. recent years the majority of 'them have beoiivietvd with considerable doubt-and sus-, pi cion. A few -years ago the world waA startled by an announcement from two scientists, Gye- and Barnard, who claimed to have elucidated the cause '-of • malignant tumours. Tliiir claim was based on a abl'e amount of experimental work,vnd they held that for the production ol 'tumours two a gents, a-’ting., together, were • liecei.sai y. One aas a living: virus 'common to all tumours and-the other an inanimate agent or specific factor l peculiar- - to-each -tumour. • Otherinvestigators entored the field, but unfortunately were not able to siibsfdntiate. tlie claims put forward, by tliese two men. ’

‘•‘From' time' to time parasites have been suggested as the cause of tu-' mo'urs. In rats' cancer of the stomach is 'sometimes associated with the presence of a in the stomach but mahy rat-s ha-rVur these parasites without -developing * v cancer. Bnbbits frequently harbour a parasite in the liver Which gi Vos ris'<J, not to' a tnaTgnaht tuihour; bu’ti to* a simple' tumour.' I have had many bpportunities' of examining these growths in' rabbits in this country! - : --r wi n plants we know of tumours or, galls which are believed to be due to* a fnierdhe." • Probably all J these- agents ' act: merely as irritants. In. fact tlie., only knbWn.- agent : factor in -therriiduction -of is pruhinged; irritation. Tlris lins’ been ‘proved exoeri- | mentally by the employment of many., ng<ints and' we 1 also siVr’rib in' the hit l -- 'man being in such cases ds the cliim-, noy-swoep’s cancer and- mule-skin one’s cancer; skin cancer from exposure "to surfli<tht —-a type ’which -appears to be , on jtiie increase* in also j