THE CANCER PROBLEM.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 April 1916, Page 2

THE CANCER PROBLEM.

BEING SOLVED IN NEW ZEALAND. A very striking and valuable paper, entitled "Some Remarks on the Cancer Problem," by Dr. W. E. Herbert, M.D., F.R.C.S., Edin., of Weillington, appears in the last number of the New Zealand Medical Journal. Why is it that the death-rate from tuberculosis is yearly decreasing? There are two chief reasons—(l) The medical profession of this country have been given facilities free of cost for the detection of tuberculosis in its early stages; (2) the public have been taught the earliest symptoms, and come for treatment in an early and curable stage of the disease. Dr. Ilerbert has no doubt whatever that cancer in its earliest stages is a local disease, ia a curable disease, and, in fact, is not nearly so serious a disease as i a tuberculosis. He urges, therefore, that once the medical profession demands and obtains the same facilities nil regar.U the early detection of cancer, and once they "have educated the public in the same degree on this point as they have succeeded in doing in regard to tuberculosis, then the death-rate of cancer will fall much lower on the list.

Dr. Herbert says that at present "the bugbear of the surgeon is the who will not go to a doctor 'h case it might be cancer.'" Sooner oi later ne is driven to seek relief, and then it,-is generally too late. Of 904 deaths from cancer in New Zealand in 1914, Dr. Herbert estimates that at least 54 per cent occurred in the stomach and intestines,. Personally he i s strongly of opinion that in early cancer of the stomach and large intestine, "the surgeon has a field of usefulness not equalled in ease occurring in any other part of the body, not even the female breast." But early diagnosis i« absilutely essential and this is where the provision made at present is capable of immense improvement. Dr. Herbert suggests that the medical profession should considei all cases of "dyspepsia" occurring above the age of thirty to be possibly malignant until further examination .proves that it is not so. In suspected cases of tuberculosis, the necessary bacteriological examination is made free of cost. In suspected cases of cancer, the scientific investigation necessary to set at rest the doctor's doubts, if it is obtainable at all, i s only to be secured at considerable expense. Dr. Herbert urges that in all cases of doubt there should be available, free of cost at all large hospitals, the advice of the pathologist, radiologist and laboratory expert. He especially dwells on the need of expert advice. He points out. the folly of expending, say £IOOO on X-ray apparatus, and not appointing a radiologist to work it. At present, ho says, most of our hospitals are starved from the scientific point of view. Considering the alarming increase of cancer in this country, and the horror with which the disease is invested, it is undeniable that no effort ought to be spared by Hie Government, in conjunction with the medical profession, to lessen its ravages and mitigate its terrors. The success which- has attended the efforts of the State to lessen tuberculosis ought to be a strong incentive to the Government to go on and grapple with what is becoming an even more deadly and dreadful scourge to New Zealand humanity.