The Fight Against Time

New Zealand Listener, Volume 30, Issue 777, 11 June 1954, Page 25

The Fight Against Time

This is the text of a talk on health broadcast recently from ZB, YA and YZ stations of the NZBS by DR. H. B. TURBOTT, Deputy-Director-General of Health

a recent talk I reminded you that, with cancer, the fight is against time. Any suspicion of cancer should mean a visit for early diagnosis, earliness being necessary for successful treatment at our present stage of knowledge. What is our present knowledge of this enemy? I guess you'd like to know. At the beginning of this century there were some leads. Chimney sweeps developed cancer of the skin. Scottish shalefield workers were prone to paraffin cancer, Lancashire cotton workers to mulespinner’s cancer, These pointers were worked upon. In the middle twenties soot, mineral oil, pitch and coal tar were shown to contain a chemical constituent that could cause cancer. Later, cancer agents were recognised in many different chemical types, such as dyestuffs and metals, and also in radia-tions-from ultraviolet, infra-red, and radio-active sources. In the last twenty years research has been seeking the key as to how these agents act. The seat of action in the cell eludes researchers. There are hints that the reproductive centre of the cell is disabled or in some way inhibited, and the abnormal or cancer cell keeps splitting off instead of normal cells. This biological upset inside the cell can be started off by a chemical substance or

other agent from without. So a great deal of present-day research is geared to the idea-at present a majority idea -that the biological upset within the cell, if it can be started off by enzymes or chemicals, possibly can be controlled through similar means. And so in the last ten years this theory has been tested clinically. Some successes have accrued, such as the use of sex hermones

to hold back certain cancers, and in a limited application of myleran in one type of leukaemia. Lots of agents have been tried that do inhibit cancer growth, but they’re too destructive to healthy cells. The search is on, therefore, for better chemicals or enzymes that will restore normal cell division. Who knows if and when they’ll find these? If they do, the end is in sight. This brings you up to date with research trends in cancer. What of cancer treatment? Progress recently has been in the nature of deciding which ‘treatment weapon offers the best chance of success. For a particular cancer will surgery or radiation be the choice, or will both be used, and if both, which one before the other? Take breast cancer. Choice of treatment is now decided by the stage of the disease. If early, surgery is more effective and gives a 75 per cent chance of 10-year survival. If not so early, with glands affected, surgery gives nearer a 30 per cent chance of 5-year survival, and radiotherapy is brought in to help the control. If late and advanced, radiotherapy is the better tool than surgery, and may prolong life for 5 years or more. In very advanced cases, the sex hormones are used to control the rapid-

ity of the cancer, prolong life, and relieve the ‘symptoms in a way undreamt of ten years ago. All types of cancer have been, and constantly are being, reviewed for the best treatment. Cancer of the womb used to mean surgical removal; nowadays more and more women have radiotherapy rather than surgery with a 5-year cure rate of nearly 60 per cent. In cancer of the voice-box it used to be surgery early and radiation treatment if late. Nowadays it’s the other way round. These changes are marks of progress, and the cancer case fourid early has a better chance of survival than previously. In our country the cancers found most in our hospitals are these, for the age group 45 to 64 years, and in order of frequency-breast, large intestine, stomach, lung and bronchus (or air tube), rectum (or. back passage), the neck of the womb, the body of the womb. This age group covers the period when people have the possibility of cancer in their consciousness. These being the commoner cancers, you will:

watch for these danger signals: Any unusual lump. or thickening, especially in the breast. Any irregular bleeding or discharge from any body opening. Persistent indigestion. Any persistent change from the normal habit or action of the bowels. Any sore anywhere that won’t heal, or any sudden changes in moles or warts. Take advice at once | if such things happen to you.