CANCER RESEARCH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 140, 15 June 1932, Page 3

CANCER RESEARCH.

WORK IN AUCKLAND.

TREATMENT BY RADIUM.

ENCOURAGING RESULTS.

A valuable report on cancer research work done in Auckland will be presented to a meeting of the New Zealand Division of the Empire Cancer Campaign Fund, to be held in Wellington next week. It will be presented by Mr. Kenneth Mackenzie, chairman of the Auckland Division. Similar reports u'ill bo presented from other centres. The Auckland consultation committee, comprising members of the honorary stalT and the staff of the Auckland Hospital has been investigating for ncaTly three years, and most hopeful results have been achieved from the use of radium in certain cases, but the maximum value of the work will not be known until the end of the five-year period on which the committee is working. The total number of new cases seen during the year was 302, the number of consultations w;is 1092, and the number of patients on the books was SOS.

It is mentioned in the report that ''skin cancer affords easily the biggest single group, and favourable results are being recorded under the different varieties. The treatment of each, case has been recommended on its merits. Radium, generally, liaa been employed less than excision or electricity. The object in doing this has been to save time and bed accommodation in cases where radium offered no special advantage." Under the heading "Pi-ovp-.il.ive Aspect," the committee states that it has nothing to report or suggest.

Information regarding the incidence a mong Maoris is sa.id to be hard to obtain, as some Maoris die before a medical man is called in, or without proper observation and. investigation. The committee is endeavouring to collect information from practitioners in various districts with a large Maori i population.