CANCER CAMPAIGN.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 247, 18 October 1929, Page 9

CANCER CAMPAIGN.

WHAT CAN BE DONE.

PLUNKET SOCIETY'S EXAMPLE

APPEAL TO THE PUBLIC.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

DUNEDIN, Thursdav.

| An Ota,go and Southland division of j the New Zealand branch, of the British j -Empire Cancer Campaign is to be j formed next week. The provisional committee, of which Sir Louis Burnett is chairman, has issued the following circular explaining tl:e necessity of every part of the Dominion taking a close interest in this movement: — "Cancer is the gravest and most urgent problem of modern medicine and surgery. Making every allowance for the more accurate diagnosis of disease resulting from the present-day knowledge, and for the longer duration of life, whereby more people live to old age I than formerly, and so have greater j chances of falling victims to cancer, the undoubted fact remains that cancer, j particularly among highly-civilised j peoples, is distressingly prevalent: an-J j what is worse, it is on the increase. j

I "There are. indeed, but few families whose homes have not been invaded by the tragedy of cancer. The authorities agree that at a low estimate every ttfnth person who reaches middle life is | doomed to die of cancer. This gloomy | prediction takes no account of th« numerous cases who have suffered from cancer and have fortunately been cured, and of those other numerous cases who have cancer but die of some other disease or injury. Such a desperate state of affairs calls for a united and determined resistance on the part of the community.

"Just as infantile mortality has been reduced in dramatic fashion by the magnificent work of Sir Truby Kirig and the Plunket Society, even so" is it' possible, with a cancer campaign, to reduce the sum of sickness, suffering and mortality due to this ever-increasing malignant affliction. Without any shadow of doubt a cancer campaign, properlyorganised and financed, could do an immense -service -to - the community."'

Special importance will attach to the Otago and Southland division from the fact that the newly-appointed director of cancer research. Dr. Andrew Begg. will carry out his principal work at the Otago Medical School.