DEATHS FROM CANCER

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22109, 3 June 1937, Page 10

DEATHS FROM CANCER

♦ SECOND HIGHEST , CAUSE RATE IN NEW ZEALAND 11.5 PER 10,000 “GRAVEST MEDICAL PROBLEM OF PRESENT DAY” (PBESS ASSOCIATION TSI-KOR.VII.I AUCKLAND, June 2. In his presidential address to ths annual meeting of the British Itapire Cancer Campaign Society Sir James Elliott, of Wellington sari the society had to cope with the,. gravest medical problem of the pre-sent-day. “In New Zealand, as m many countries,” he said, “cancer M the second highest cause of death, being second only to the large and somewhat ill-defined group of deatia ascribed to heart failure and de- - 11 y la"L V Tast year for which complete figures are suffering would Sheath rate equaJj 115 per 10,000 of the population. The average death rate from infantile paralysis, which .causes so muJi public alarm, is only about 15 a year for the total population of Zealand. In New Zealand, 95 I« . cent, of cancer occurs from the age Of 45 and upwards, and 62 per cem. .. from the age of 60 and upwards. In 1935 713 out of 1656 deaths from cancer or nearly half, occurred befween ’the ages it 45 and 65, so that these persons, of rich experience and sound judgment, were lost at. a time of life when perhaps parents can be of most use to their families or of most value in public and private affairs.” . ; “Everyone Personally Concerned” Sir James referred to the work that the society had out, and expressed the opinion that it had to some , extent caused the public to realise that everyone was personally concerned in the cancer menace. Special treatment for cancer must be cen- - tralised, he said. “It is a public health problem, and smaller hospitals and r centres must see that cancer patients requiring, special treatment gravitate to the central clinics, where Proper facilities for treatment are alone availr]s able-” , , .'jM Although a large sum of money tMMi been collected in the Dominion forW» cancer campaign, the high cost of treat-'? r ■ ment and the extended activities required further funds. It was possible for Otago, Canterbury, and Wellington to maintain their present organisations and he was pleased to hear that an ef- ; fort would shortly be made in Auck- , land to provide sufficient funds lot-.,- • that district. ’ Sir Louis Barnett, of - it had become a convention with cer investigations that no case shown be considered cured until five years-' had elapsed after treatment had ceased. The society was now in its eighth year, and a considerable number of com-* plete cures had been made. Clinical Research After referring to the valuable laboratory work being done at Dun- "■ edin, Sir Louis said it was desirable * that the society should have a special officer dealing with clinical research. , As it was the largest city, and pos- - sessed the largest hospital, and because of the amount of clinical mate-' rial available, he believed Auckland .would be the most suitable centre in . which such an officer should work." Sir James Elliott was re-elected president, and Sir Louis Barnett and Sir Hugh Acland were re-elected vicepresidents.