CAMPAIGN AGAINST TERRIBLE SCOURGE

NZ Truth, Issue 1302, 27 November 1930, Page 1

CAMPAIGN AGAINST TERRIBLE SCOURGE

♦ > New Zealand Must Play Her Part Nobly In Great Empire Cancer Crusade PROVIDE SCIENCE WITH FUNDS REQUIRED No disease has taken a more deadly toll of human life, and none of the ills to which flesh is heir, have more terribly afflicted mankind, than have the insidious ravages of cancer, that dread disease which alone among the greater scourges, continues to baffle modern* medical science. But at last all the forces of mind and matter are arrayed m a relentless battle to overcome this enemy of civilization, and under the banner of the British Empire Cancer Campaign, a vast organization is gathering its resources for a war of extermination. The Empire has taken up the greatest crusade m its history and one m which the victory will be the most

splendid ever achieved. IT is not so many years since the dread phantoms of tuberculosis and 3 yellow fever, stalked rampant among the races of the world, but medical science having once taken up the fight against them, did not rest until it had laid them low. To-day, what science did m scotching these two terrible diseases, it hopes to, do m fighting oancer. Already the first signs of victory are m sight. But it is a grim struggle, and before victory, final and complete, can be w<m, all the resources of science and the people-for whom it is fighting, must unite m common cause. It is not a fight which science can wage alone — it is a fight for humanity on behalf of itaelf, and it is for the people to. give the scientists the thews and sinews for the, struggle. It is to this end that the widespread organization of the British Empire Cancer Campaign is devoting its time and directing its energies and to-day, throughout the Empire, the medical profession Has called the public to its aid m overcoming the greatest obstacle with -which it has ever been confronted. In clinics and laboratories m all the chief cities of the Empire, scientists are fighting one of the greatest battles of peace,'- and the : greatest concerted effort m medical history is being made to combat a terrible _^ menace which every day of the year is taking its toll m suffering, misery and death. I But while the scientists are m 'the firing line, behind them are the great reserves of the public to whom they look for the forging of the weapons of war, and already it is evident that the personal appeal and example of His Majesty the. King, as patron of the movement, has had an unique response. In England, and m every • dominion ' of the Empire, funds are being raised to carry on the good work, and m this great united effort New Zealand has rallied to play her part. But although the attack is being made on so many fronts, there is no overlapping; everything is under central control and the many complexities and ramifications of the problem are each being subjected to concentrated attention. Indeed, the whole movement is v unique — it is a tribute to' the spirit of the Empire that it has undertaken it, and in v its way, the response to the appeal has been as striking as that which followed -the call to arms against a material foe m August, 1914. Side by side the two campaigns are working, the specialists probing the

technical difficulties which confront them at every turn, and the layworkers organizing to keep them supplied with ammunition and to provide for further great extensions m the in-vestigations-which must be carried out before victory can be won. But while the general public cannot hope to appreciate the medical mysteries and technicalities which makes the study of cancer one of the most complex of the scientific problems which the world has faced, it can appreciate to some extent the Vast amount of highly specialized research, the minute observation and tabulation, and the unremitting labor, which confront the cancer workers. Other diseases have baffled medical science and have been overcome, but none of them perhaps, has presented such baffling and delicate problems as those which have been unfolded m the field of cancer research. 'It is not one problem, but an infinite variety of them which await i * l

FIRING LINE

solution and m this 1 " 1 lies the primary difficulty of the specialized workers, whose attentions are divided and labors handicapped by the gaps which impede their investigations. , But despite these difficulties, a vast amount of work has already been done —how much still remains, is necessarily a speculation. All avenues of possible investigation and research must be explored, but as this is done more problems present themselves. In spite of this, however, the research workers have already succeeded m adding materially to our knowledge of the disease, and, although the major problems remain unsolved, data is steadily accumulating which may have untold value m relation to the broader problems. It is a battle primarily for the research workers, for cancer cannot be cured until we can fully understand its causes and what it is. In their specialized fields, some' of the finest brains, (^f science are working upon different lines of investigation. Already they have written many important chapters m the book of knowledge, but the key lines that hold the solution of the great mysteries are still sealed. .Research must inevitably.^precede cure, and the basis of all cancer -research lies m microscopical work. The , disease itself, pro- — ~" ceeds from peculiar affections of the cell tissues, which make up the body and its ■ organs, and it is m the examination of these cell tissues that the microscope is indispensable and opens the way to all the different investigators who are trying to get behind these peculiar cell processes and discover what it is that causes them. But the difficulty to the cancer worker, lies .m the fact that recent investigations have shown that there is a world ,of living things beyond the tremendous range even of the microscope — a world which can never be seen so lohg as light retains its "'present wave length and the organizations retain their present size. These extraordinary minute organisms are what are known as "filter passers" and unless some revolutionary discovery enlarges our field of vision beyond even microscopical limits, they must always remain invisible. These viruses are so minute that they can pass through the finest filter, and among them are • the organisms which are responsible for 'smallpox, infantile paralysis, epidemic influenza, the common cold, mumps,, and measles. But m addition to these, it has also been established that certain growth-promot-ing substances which are known to exist, fyave also this power of avoiding filtration with the result that,investigations into their nature and effects, are handicapped, v At present no true test exists by which these peculiar substances can be scientifically separated from known disease viruses. Yet another, difficulty lies m actually defining the nature of the cancer-pro-moting organism or substance. At one time it was definitely believed that it was a microbe and many claims to its discovery were made, but the evidence has now swung the other way and the body of opinion is against the theory that there is any distinct cancer microbe. <■•'..- Discussing the origin of cancerous irritation, Professor B. A. Walsh, professor of pathology at Sydney University, . drew a comparison which rather aptly indicates to the lay mind the commencement of the cancerous process. "Perhaps the analogy which is the easiest to follow, is to look upon cancer as a local rebellion of a group of discontented cells within that common^ wealth of working cells which form the human body," wrote the professor. "The rebellious cells throw off restraint arid if the local . riot is not promptly checked, it may develop into a general invasion which destroys the whole commonwealth. "But what is it that generates this discontent and excites this rebellion? It may be that some evil,™ foreign influence has entered into the lives of these cells, changing their character and transforming them from law-abid- ' ing workers m a great commonwealth into lawless destroyers of that commonwealth. That corresponds with the # hypothesis that cancer is caused by a special and external cancer parasite of which, however, there is no proof, although there has been some support from recent work. The fact that cancer is non-infectious has always been a

EXTRA LIFE SPAN

difficulty m the way of that hypothesis." But the peculiarly destructive effect of cancer lies m the power which a cancerous cell appears to obtain, of creating other similar cells m its immediate vicinity, and setting up a centre of cancerous activity. The extraordinary feature of this development is that these new parasitic cells are generated m the body and , do not appear to proceed from any parasite or organism introduced from outside. Thus" from a maze, of technicalities, scientific evidence, and theorising, one salient fact remains unfortunately unassailable and that is that no specific cause of cancer has yet been discovered. We know that cell affections are set up and the course which they take as

the disease progresses, but we do not know wherein lies the icause of the primary cfell irritation or irregularity. It is the discovery of this cause and afterwards of its remedy — that is the great goal towards which all the research workers are striving. A number of facts have definitely emerged, however, and although they do not supply the solution, they are known to have a bearing upon it; it is m the extension and co-relation of these that the field of th,e research worker lies. In the first place it is acknowledged that heredity has an influence m the development of cancer, although exactly to what extent has not yet been determined. Certain types are known to be more immune from the dread disease than others, and strangely enough, data m this connection which has been collected/shows that mice and men are linked together, m that similar strains which are relatively immune or susceptible to cancer are apparent m both. There is also strong evidence to show that cancer, m its development at least, occurs most frequently m adult persons of advancing years who have reached a time of life when their body tissues are ' beginning to feel" the strain of the work which has been placed upon them. Due to the marvellous progress of medical science of. late • years, the average life period of man has been extended by ten or fifteen years and it is m this extra span that cancer most often makes itself apparent. In other, words, the gain which science has won for mankind, is being eaten up by this dreadful disease which chooses its victims m their prime and often at the most fruitful period of their activity. One theory regarding the possible origin of. cancer which has been effectively exploded, is that a flesh diet predisposed the patient to this disease, and that a vegetarian diet was a protection against it. Grass eaters such as horses and cattle, flesh eaters such as dogs and cats, and mixed eaters such as man, are all liable to cancer so that the disease' cannot be said to confine itself to any particular form of life. Another theory was that the' refined foods of civilization and our breaking away from the primitive natural life, encouraged the disease, but for this theory also, there is no proof. It has been proved that races still m their primitive condition, are equally liable -with the children of higher civilization, although it is admitted that excess or persistent high living, may be a contributory cause m setting up cancerous activity. , ' ; Diseases may be classified into two distinct classes, those that are easily prevented and those that are not. > The former •- class proceeds

mainly from outside microbes which attack the body, but the latter more generally originates m some causes which arise inside the body. Cancer is of this class, and it is this fact which makes it so difficult tp determine its origin. A peculiar feature of the growth of a cancer, is that it is a living thing which appears to have a definite term of natural life. It arises m the first place from a cancerous cell which infects the other cells about it, but there are cases on 'record -where a cancer has appeared to reach the limit of its growth and die out. But unfortunately, the event is rare and actually hardly one m I 0,000 cancers usually dies before it has killed the unfortunate sufferer it has afflicted. Rare ,as these cases are, ■ however, they give some element of hope that a means may yet be discovered by which the cancerous growths can be encouraged to die, and it is m this direction that X-rays and radium have been found particularly valuable. Indeed, the dread of the disease has become so general that sufferers have become far too prone to believe that it cannot be checked. If taken m time, different classes of cancer can be checked and treated by < modern methods, and m fact, cases" of cures and successful treatment are increasing iri a very encouraging manner. Resignation to the incurability of the disease is the worst possible attitude of mmd 'to cultivate, for therejis certain proof that early cancer is often curable. Yet, despite this fact,, many sufferers afflicted wjth. the disease, hide it until it is too far advanced for any hope of successful treatment. The only really incurable form of cancer is that which has been allowed to go N too far. Unfortunately, the disease is so insidious m its processes that too often the patient does not realize that he is m the toils until it is too late for effective treatment to be. undertaken. Many early cancers do hot form a lump or tumour which can be felt and they are nearly always painless m the early stages. But nearly always also, a danger signal is given- — signs of haemorrhage-, a painful lump, or of persistent indigestion. Of course, every haemorrhage or lump, or sign of indigestion does hot mean cancer, but they are signs which it is not well to ignore. If they are taken m time, very often skilled treatment will avert the danger, before the growth can attain greater proportions. From this outline it will be seen that while tremendous difficulties confront the : workers who are fighting the scourge, and while every . resource of money and intellect is needed to assist them m their task,, progress has already been made and is being maintained. But the campaign organized throughout the British Empire, does not aim only at maintaining this progress, but at accelerating it and reaching a solution of the problem. With some ofthe best scientific brains m the world bent to the task, and the tremendous resources -which are aimed at by the campaign, anything is possible and the time may not be far distant when science will have conquered one of the most relentless foes which it has ever faced. If that final goal is achieved as a re;suit of the organized effort of the Empire, it will " represent perhaps the greatest victory of peace which has ever been won. And the credit will not only be with the scientists and the medical men who have labored so unceasingly, but with the public which has rallied to their help and subscribed the funds for this great humanitarian object.

.-illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllHllllllllllllllllli.'l||llllllllllllllllllllllllllllr. plant. This new and very up-to-date apparatus enables the radon gas emanations from radium to be collected m sealed containers which may be despatched all. over the. country for the assistance of medical wgjrkers who are dealing, withveancer cases. • Auckland is also doing its share m collecting funds, and with the amounts which are coming m from the areas outside the districts of the four centres, £50,000 is well m sight. This is the figure which has been tentatively mentioned as the goal of the campaign, the purpose .of the organizers being to establish an endowment fund sufficiently large to set up and equip the central research clinic at the Dunedin Medical School, and also to establish other research clinics m . the other three remaining centres. The preliminary work m this direction has already been done and valuable research is already m progress at Dunedin. In charge of this work will be Dr. A. M. Begg, a New Zealander > . who received' his training at the Cancer Research Institute, London, and who has already taken a prominent part m important research work. A start has also been "made m the statistical data branch and everything is m train to make the fight on the New Zealand front a worthy effort. - Radium has already been purchased m a form suitable for use according to the latest discoveries, and when the fund is established, considerably more will be done m this direction. t>