MODERN MEDICINE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 25, 30 January 1934, Page 11

MODERN MEDICINE.

CONFERENCE AT HOBART

TREATMENT OF CANCER.

(%r- Telegraph.—Press Association:)

WELLINGTON, Monday.

•Observations on the discussions at the | fourth session of the Australasian Medi- ; ;cal' Congress, held at Hobart from January 14 to January 21, were made :by--l>r J. A. Doctor, of "Wellington, on •M* return by-the Marama from Sydney to-day. C. ... . DT. Doctor said that so much had to be done-that each man could only see and hear the work of his own section, but the general note struck seemed to be the sifting and reassembling of past knowledge rather than any startling prophecy of what the future of medicine might hold. The general symposium of cancer arid cancer research was, from the public point of view, the most interesting part - of the conference. ■While- f the statistics furnished by Dr. J H:.K Cumpston, Director-General 01 Health, for the Commonwealth of Australia, were not cheering, the research work undertaken bv men of clear and critical understanding was recognised, as the fact that-in -actualtreatment ■■ surgery alone did not hold therein; but that the pathologist, physicist, bio-ciieraist and radium and X-ra'y'expe'rts should also decide as to ■what line t'tib treatment would give the most--lasting results;. With-early diagnosis the treatment remained most hopeful. • W t. i In other departments, said Dr. Doctor, the-^rend--of Opinion was that many troubles which some years ago surgery alone could help were now amenable to leas, heroic .measures, but that when surgery Was indicated it should be entirely adequate. The person concerned rather than the disease diagnosed seemed to be rightly becoming the basis of all treatment.