CAUSES OF CANCER

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2656, 8 November 1923, Page 2

CAUSES OF CANCER

*S PERVERTED CELL ACTIVITY. TREATMENT BY-RADIDM. fAn informative lecture.on earner was given by Dr. C. M. Hector, Government pathologist,” at Wellington this week. Dr. Hector said that in' spite of immense concent ration of effort, the, root cause of cancer remained obscure J lie researches had showed, however, thnl the “mechanism” of cancer was quite simple. Certain cells in the body began to grow aud multiply in an abnormal way and invaded and destroyed the surrounding tts.-nc, in addition to starting fresh centres of growth in other parts of the body. The general conclusion was these' cells were originally normal body cells, and that for some reason they had been seduced from their subservience to the body as y whole, and had become independent units. As the result of following processes, they underwent degeneration, ulceration, and secondary infection, while they also interfered with the organs on >v[ueh they pressed. Thus the whole problem of e,-nicer was comprised in the perverted activities of certain cells. With reference to the treatment of cancer by radium, Dr. Hector said the application of radium had to be controlled by entirely skilled experts. “The cancer ceils are more vulnerable to radium than are normal .tissue cells, and herein hes our hope of defeating the enemy put you can readily perceive that inuoii skill and sound judgment will be required . ... a