THE CANCER PROBLEM

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3913, 2 March 1929, Page 4

THE CANCER PROBLEM

Addressing a meeting of women health visitors and school nurses at Bedford College for Women, Mr. Cecil Rowntree, honorary consulting' surgeon at Woolwich Memorial Hospital, said the majority of lecturers on cancer seared their audiences by telling them that one in etery eight would die of cancer. He preferred to tell Ihdm that they had a seven to one chance of not dying of cancer, and most of them realised that they seldom got such good odds as that in ordinary betting. Though lie personally thought cancer ,was on the increase, there was no unanimity about the question, and certainly so much more could be done now in curing cancer that there need not he the same fear. Referring to the fear that cancer was infectious, Mr. Rowntree said: —“All the proof in many years’ experience in a cancer hospital ought to convince people that this disease is not contagious or infectious in the ordinary sense of the term, but that does not mean to say that elementary precautions should not be taken. The real tragedy in this disease is that there are no early signs of it. If only it were a painful, noticeable disease in the first few weeks, we could deali with it, but it is perfectly possible for people to have cancer and be perfectly happy, contented, and do a full day’s work without any sign, except, perhaps, a small local condition, of their having anything the matter. The only thing all persons can ,do is to look after their bodies as they would look after their houses, and the moment there is the slightest dilapidation to go off to a doctor, even though it may only he a seemingly trivial painless ulcer or wart on the lip ,or tongue.”