CANCER PROBLEM

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 356, 18 October 1932, Page 6

CANCER PROBLEM

ALL VARIETIE5 STATISTICAL FIGURES SHOWING PATIENTS DISCHARGED CURED. - ENCOURAGING TREATMENT. In the Monthly Abstract of Statistics compiled in the Census and Statistics Onice, there are some interesting figures which throw light on certain aspects of the caneer problem. The figures concern the cancer patients who were originally discharged from publie hospitals as recovered during the years from 1925 to 1927. The report eovers all'varieties of cancer, and the number of cases is 637.

It is shown that half the total number had not died or been readinitted to the public hospitals 4 up to the end of 1931. Certain types of cancer which are well known to be fatal had a higher percentage of recurrenees, but this was offset by the low percentage of recurrenees shown for such varieties as skin cancer. Predisposing Causes. The final report on the cancer re-' cords in the four main centres, prepared by Dr. Roland Fulton, of Dunedin, has been presented to the Caneer j .Consultation, Committee. In this repert Dr. Fulton has outlined the requirements for the keeping of proper records in all cases of cancer. He stresses the point that as one of the aims of the British Empire Cancer Campaign Society is to foster research in the prevention aS well as the cure of cancer and similar malignant diseases, it would appear that the essential points in the cancer records and system should be: (1) Inr vestigation of possible predisposing causes; and (2) aecurate recording of the results of treatment. Valuable Information. In his report, Dr. Fulton indicates the manner in which each centre can in its own way further these aims. By arriving at uniformity in the record system of the four main cantres, a most valuable accumulation of statistics in regard to cancer will, in the opinion of medical men, be obtained. On account of the relatively fixed nature of the population the methods of follow-up will be much more successful in New Zealand than they can be in more closely populated countries. For this reason New Zealand statistics, properly prepared and summarised from time to time, will be of very great value to all research worker in cancer.