THE WAR ON CANCER.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5336, 8 October 1928, Page 4

THE WAR ON CANCER.

SURVEY BY FAMOUS SURGEON. ADVICE TO THE PUBLIC. Piobably the most important conference ever held on cancer has just concluded its in London. Organised; by the British Empire Cancer CaniDajig.it it lias been a great success. The leading experts of 18 nations, have said thejr say. All the latest theories and discoveries, have been debated and examined with great thoroughness, and innumerable papers have been written. But the lay public are; naturally as,king, “What is the significance of it all ?” Are w© any nearer a cure for the disease Has the conference given a new message of hope for humanity ? Tlie situation was summed up by Sir Thomas Hcydcr, Bart, Physician-in-Ord'inary to the Prince of Wales and Physic,iap to the Cancer Hospital, London, who took a prominent part in the dicussiops. In an interview with a “Daily Mail” I’epQrter Sir Thomas Horder said : So far. as conferences; ever accomplish anything, I think this oRe has been as, successful as any I have known. In reply to the “Is there a stronger hope of finding a cure for .cape,er as a . result’bif this conference?” he said : I should like to say , that. 1 believe that a definite advaneb hasi been, made in this direction- Moreover, the air has been cleared; we realise more clearly what we do n.ot know. Perhaps the most important lessen emerging from the: discussions is that the most successful treatment is still in the sphere of surgery and radiology and that at this stage of ojar knowleilgei we can throw over known methods of dealing with the disease for those the’value of which has dtill •to be demonstrated. ... ■■ As I am never tir.ed of emphasising, the patient is the crux of the matter. ■ Investigations apd research must i needs,go, on, and the many fallacies connected with them 5 must be gradually eliminated, but the seriousness of the patient’s condition is Isuch that ' Something has; got to be done, an,d i ..that without delay.... . Surgery, and radiology Jiave still got the first claims, in treatment, in spite ; of ajuything .that has been said at this, conference:, but ts© conference < has emphasised the possibility of the s use of adjunct to those measures ■ such as the use of chemical sub- 1 ‘ stances, sera, e€d. There ajre three main pointy around 1 which "this conference has centred: < the cause of cancer,’ the importance < of early diagnosis, and treatment. 1 .THE CAUSE OF CANCER. 1 ; We.ape still very much in the dark. The parasite theory—that cancer is t a microbic pr’ocesp—is still the fav- s ourite hypothesis, anfd may yet, de- i • spite the epoch-marking work o£ Dr. .1 James Murphy (New York) and his, i collaborators, prove to be correptl Dr., a . Murphy’s contribution to this part of I the subject has been, the 'most sensa- i| tional of all the papers' handed in c during the conference. JHe has ad- o . duced reaso,ns for regarding the a.c- a tual cause of some eanciersi at "least c as beiifg somewhat, of th'e nature of t a cjhemical ferment. • . * r< These researches ■ hove been done g on chickens, in a susceptible strain fi of these birds the injection of this “agent” can be made to reproduce the dhicken-tumour with; greiaf constancy, r Dr. Murphy’s new dissco verier lie in v the direction of. showing that this “agent” has properties tihat seem to a remove it fromthef category of mi- f Cro.bqs, and it was these discoveries that caused sc much interest at the a conference. t

This work will, of course, be subjected to critical examina t tiop by other researchers, if it is copfinned, and if the facts now brought forward are shown to be applicable to human canc.er, there is scarcely any limit to the possibilities, by way of further *' progress that the discovery opens up. Dr. Murphy’s researches extend over u * a period of nearly twenjty years; like nearly all medical researches they lL were seriously interrupted, and the results consequently much postponed, IS . by the war. jt ’ EARLY DIAGNOSIS. n This is t,he second point of impor.tance brought out at the conference. ■■ s If. we wait until th© cancer patient is 5 " ill we have waited too 10;ng. Disc.ovie ery of the presence of the disease should be made at the earliest pos- ® sible moment, ajnd the only way of a doing this is by careful attention t« early symptoms. Inasmuch as c.ery tain symptoms have a; special signifii- cance to the. experienced! doctor, it 'S behc : v©s anyone in doubt about his !• health to seek competent advice, t Internal cancer is a much more serious problem than external cancer ” —the stomach and the bowel present o a more difficult and a more subtle h problem than, growths on the surface n of the body. It is essential that we doctors should familiarise ourselvcjs a still more with special instruments r which supplement our. c-rdinary c.lini- - cal examination of the patient. X-rays f examination has been <jf enormous 3 service in early diagnosis, and l no - doubt the radiologist’s technique will i continue to improve in the near fu- - turn TREATMENT. I I have already' said that, surgery ; and radiology must, at present have I the first claim. There is a growing ■ tendency to submit some car:e,s of cancer, to. radiation treatment which formerly w er,e .treated surgically. But consideration of this queSticp requires great experience. There is, however, an increasing body of opinion in favour of some careers of the womb being treated entirely by radium or Xrays rather t.han by sjirgery, ajid many surgeons themselves, take this view. The combination of both methods is the ideal choice in a lapge number of caselS. With regard to treatment by chemotherapy—the use of certain heayy metals, for. example—th© remedy ' whicfli has been exploited of late has been lead- One ©f the most aiiiimated of the sessions was that at which this Subject w.ap introduced by Professor Blair Bell, who has given great thought and spent much time, oyer it. The preparation of lead now in u«te is probably not. the last word in the chcic© of the drug. It is ;a, question of improving the remedy, we may have with lead an experience similar to that witih “606,” the remedy fcjr syphilis. The first, preparations of this drug usied were highly toxic, and sCjme of the patents undoubtedly died a§ the result bf its injection; but it . hajs now been so much improved that it is in everyday use and can be safely administered by any careful dqctor. If lead, or some other'substance, were improved to this extent and made capable of. bringing ajbout. resorption of cancer cells,, it would be vary valuable, partly because sOime cases of cancer are inoperable and because there is too ; often, a feay of recurrence of th© disease even after sur- " gery or radiation hasi been successfully used. A WORD TO THE PUBLIC. What advice can we give to the public in relation to the, disease. ? I would suggest the following :— Obey the l.ajws of cause and ©ffact as applied to health, anid thus! keep fit. So long as, you are fit, don’t worry abejut your health, and don’t entertain feai’s of cancer,

Avoid the quack and popular books cm cancer as you. 'would the plague. Periodically- consult your doctor, (de not imagine it an eas.idr jo.b for him to find out. if you are healthy than it is tie prove yona. re diseased.) If you notice any departure .from your usual health which you do not understand, yejur- doctor to tell you what, it means. It may be quite trivial, it, may bo vital, in its. significance. A 1 man or. woman who is unfertun;<te. enough to contract the disease should tru<t to the judgment of his or her doctor as, to which is the best available treatment for his or her particular case. Each has to be taken o.n its individuual merits.