‘Leukemia Cure In Sight’—Russians

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31223, 22 November 1966, Page 2

‘Leukemia Cure In Sight’—Russians

Progress in Russia on a cure for leukemia and the causes of mental and physical deformity in babies were described by two women doctors, members of a party of Russian tourists, in Christchurch yesterday.

They are Dr. Olga Tolmachovskaya, who is doing genetics research at the Scientific Research Institute of Obestetrics and Gynaecology, Moscow; and Dr. Vera Spesivtseva. a lecturer at the Medical Institute in Moscow, who is doing radio wave research into recurring diseases with emphasis on the thyroid and blood functions.

Through an interpreter, Mr R. Sussex, of Christchurch, Dr. Specivtseva said leukemia «as in the same group of diseases as cancer. Doctors were now able to prolong the lives of sufferers and it was thought a cure was not far off

Research workers were Involved in “the struggle for a healthy future." There were many factors which would affect the development of the future citizen.

Dr. Tolmachovskaya said it was thought that the genetic factor in mentally and physically handicapped babies was small. The effect of influenza, chemical disturbances

in the mother, radioactive waves and the physical condition of the parents had a greater influence on the health of a baby. Throughout Russia, groups of parents who had a deformed child came under the supervision of genetic hospitals. Doctors and research workers tried to discover the causes and prevent future children being born with deformities.

Children who were deformed could remain at home or go to rehabilitation centres, she said.

Dr. Tolmachovskaya also spoke of the work being done on sterility, and said it was

thought there were genetic factors at work. At present researchers were trying to discover if one of the causes was a sex imbalance in chromosomes.

Both women have adult families. Dr. Tolmachovskaya has a daughter studying biology and a son who is a geographer. Her husband is a physiologist Dr. Spesivtseva’s daughter is a doctor and her husband a professor of engineering.

They agreed that Russian men liked their wives to work in the same fields as themselves. The Russian woman was looked upon as an individual person. If she wanted to have a career as well as a family she did so without any feeling that she was neglecting her children. Both women agreed that having a career had widened their horizons and had given them more in common with their husbands. They said women worked harder, but this was common to women in every country. “Women are more resillant,” said Dr. Spesivtseva.