WORK OF CANCER CLINIC

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27065, 13 June 1953, Page 2

WORK OF CANCER CLINIC

ANNUAL REPORT TO SOCIETY New cases handled by the Christchurch Consultation Clinic during the last year totalled 499, said Dr. w. M. Cotter at the annual meeting of the Canterbury, Marlborough, Nelson, and Westland division of the British Empire Cancer Campaign Society yesterday. Of these. 216 cases were malignant. The figures were not significantly different from last year’s, and perhaps the rapid increase in numbers that had been noticed over the last few years was about to cease, said Dr. Cotter. . There had been no striking development in the treatment of cancer recently, although the surgery of cancer had gained more than most branches by developments in anaesthesia, blood chemistry, and antibiotics. Dr. Cotter said. These had made • operations safe which not long ago were dangerous or impossible. The new isotope clinic for the treatment of cancer by radio-active isotopes was now under construction at the Christchurch Public Hospital, and should be ready before the end of thp year, reported Dr. Cotter. It was intended that cases requiring investigation or treatment with radio-active isotopes would then be referred there from any part of New Zealand. Dr. Cotter said that although the present facilities were limited, increasing use was being made of radio-active substances. Radio-active iodine was being used to investigate and treat benign and malignant diseases of the thyroid gland; radio-active phosphorus was being used for the treatment of polycythemia vera; and recently it had been found possible to treat cases of malignant ascites with radio-active colloidal gold. It was hoped to commence soon the use of radio-active tantalum in malignant disease of the bladder.