TREATMENT OF CANCER

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21510, 27 June 1935, Page 12

TREATMENT OF CANCER

USE OF RADIUM AND SURGERY

VIEWS OF CIIRISTCHUKCH DOCTORS Substantial agreement with medical opinion in. Dunedin. on the use oi Vadium in the treatment of cancel was found among Christchurch doctors, to whom a statement by Dr. C. C. Coghlan, and the subsequent criticisms by Dunedin medical men, were referred by a representative of "The Press jvafrduv. Dr. Coghlan had said that -throughout the United States, except ju New York and San Francisco, very little importance was placed on radium treatment, surgery being preferred. " i received a letter this morning from a lending professor in a London hospital asking me whether I held the view that radium had justified itself," said Dr. P. Ciennoll Fenwiek. of the radium department of the Public Hospital. "The writer slated that his own view was that it depended entirely on the men and women who did the work; radium could work no medical magic on its own. Use (if Both Treatments "Mv own opinion, based on the experience I have had since 1911," said Dr. Fenwiek, is that radium is one ol t)u: greatest allies of surgery. It has U-en°proved that external cancer can V.i- treated with excellent results by indium. The treatment of infernal cancer has not yof. been sufficiently exploited to justify the making oi! any statement. "The surgeons at {his hospital have t.iken advantage of X-ray treatment, and are sending their patients both before and after operations for a course of treatment. Every year the value of radio-therapy used in coniunction with surgery is being more and more recognised. As a proof that 'he stall' of this hospital has not lost faith in radium, records show that during the last 11 years nearly 7000 radium treatments and 13,000 X-ray treatments have been given. As all the natienis are referred to us bv .members of the medical profession, it appears from these figures that the medical orol'ession in Canterbury has not lost faith in radio therapy." "It is a surprise to hear the views expressed by Dr. Coghlan in face of a report made by Dr. do Monschnu::. radio-theranist at; the Dunedin Hospital, on tiis recent tour of the leading cancer clinics in Canada, the United States. Great Britain, and European countries generally, said a doctor who is a member of the executive of the Canterbury division of the New Zealand branch of the British Empire Cancer Campaign Society. "Briefly, the report makes if clear that, far from abandoning radiation treatment ot cancer—which includes radium and special types of X-ray treatment—increasing use is being made of this fnrm of SheraDv in the treatment of certain types of cancer. Value of K:iflium "Personal]'.'." the doctor added, "I have no doubt whatever that the use of radium and special X-ra.vs —that is, ladiation therapy—is of Hit; utmost value in the treatment of certain forms of enncer and is preferred in these particular types to surgery. In the treatment of internal cancer;,- surgery i.-: preferred.'' Sir Hugh Acland, the president of the local division of the New Zealand branch of the Cancer Campaign Society, concurred with th» views expressed bv the doctors. He said that he intended to deal at some length with the whole Question of the treatment of cancer by radium. X-ray. and surgery in the report which will be presented at the annual meeting of the local division next Wednesday, Julv 3. _____ MANUAL TRAINING CENTRE PROVISION j\T NORMAL SCHOOL FOlt UNEMPLOYED HOYS Facilities for manual, training have now been made available for unemployed boys in Christchurch. The establishment of a manual training' centre has for some time been thought advisable by the welfare and education sub-committee fi[ the Boys' Employment Committee. Tlirough the ed'orts of Mr \V. T. Langley, representative of the Canterbury Education Board on the Boys' Employment Committee, Hie board has granted the committee the use of a room at the manual training centre at the Normal School. Mr E. ,J. Barrett, who is m charge of it, with some of his stall, has agreed to instruct the boys. As a beginning nine boys attended yesterday at 1.30 p.m. Mr A. J. McEldowney, chairman of the subcommittee, thanked the board and Messrs Langley and Barrett. Mr Barrett, in speaking to the boys, said that they were in no sense coming to a school class, but would be able to make useful articles and learn the use of tools. They would be instructed in repairing shoes and in making' articles from wood and metal. A number ol simple articles were shown to the boys, and they were allowed to choose which they would like to make. Mr Langley stressed the importance of the boys showing great enthusiasm for their work, for they would be tested for positions in the future by the work done at the centre. Mr McEldowney expressed the opinion yesterday that a good move had been made, and that a strong occupational centre, similar to those in England and Australia, would develop.