FIGHT AGAINST CANCER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2634, 18 September 1923, Page 3

FIGHT AGAINST CANCER.

ANIMAL FATS SHOULD BE AVOIDED.

London, Sept. 14.

Dr. Sydney A. Monkton-Copeman, medical officer to the Ministry of health, at a crowded meeting of the physiology section of British Association, detailed cases of patients in advanced stages of cancer, whose lives had been prolonged and freed of pain by a diet, from which foodstuffs of .animal origin containing fat and soluble vitamin were excluded, though bacon had been allowed, because its fat, as a soluble factor, was exceptionally small. Dr Copeman said it was a tragic fact that one in seven of middle-aged people died of cancer, and the recorded mortality had trebled in two generations. It had long been known as a fact that fat, as a soluble factor, was absolutely essential for growth in the young, but the effect upon adults had not hitherto been investigated. The results of rationing during the war suggested the new treatment.

Dr. Copeman has also investigated the enclosed orders of the Roman Catholic Church, particularly the Benedictines, who are practically vegetarians, and found that though they did not enjoy complete immunity from cancer it was less among them than the unenclosed orders, whose food was not strictly limited. An enclosed order had a plentiful supply, of salad and vegetables at. hand. CANCER DEATH-RATE. Commenting on the prevalence of cancer in New Zealand, Dr. T. McKibbin, medical officer of health for Otago arid Southland, said that if figures justify the assertion that if heart disease and all sudden death from so-called heart diseases be deducted, cancer easily leads in the list of most common cause of death in New Zealand. In the year 1921 the last year for which the official figures are published, the deaths from heart disease were set down as 1512 out of the 10,628 deaths registered, and cancer caused 1,044. “It is to be remembered,” said Dr McKibbon, “that the expectation of life in New Zealand is greater than in most countries, therefore there are more persons here who reach the age at which cancer is to be feared. It is also to be borne in mind that nowadays, the doctors are making more exact dignoses, and set down as cancer many cases that in former years would not be so identified. But statisticians jnow admit that, apart from these two factors, there is undoubtedly a steady increase in the death rate from cancer, both in the United Kingdom and in New Zealand. In the Old Country one female in eight and one male in ten die of cancer after the age of 35. The only consolations are —first, that, cancer is slowly increasing in most, countries, and New Zealand is not worse oft' in that respect than many other countries; secondly, that each of the last two years for which the returns are available (1920 and 1921) shows a slight fall in the cancer death rate in New Zealand.”