Child cancer

Press, 17 December 1988, Page 20

Child cancer

Sir, —I am sure all readers are impressed by the magnificent work done by Koru Care for disadvantaged children. It is good that you are making this known through your publication. However, it horrifies me to read of child cancer victims. I recall none during my childhood. May I ask the Health Department, through your column, whether child cancer is of recent introduction and whether the numbers are growing? If this is so, we need to look more carefully at sprays, insecticides, etc. I have long wished that all directors of chemical industries could pay a compulsory visit to a cancer ward and also meet folk receiving chemotherapy treatment. — Yours, etc., S. I. EDEN. November 30, 1988.

[The Medical Officer of Health, Dr M. A. Brieseman, replies: “There has been no significant change in the rate of childhood deaths. The rate of childhood cancer deaths for 1-4 year-olds was 1.0 per 10,000 of the non-Maori population in 1926 and 1.1 in the 1960-64 period. The figures for the 5-14 year-olds for the same years vary slightly above and below the range from 0.5 in 1926 to 0.8 per 10,000 in 1964. The figures for new registrations and deaths from cancer since 1966 collects 0-14 year-olds together, and again varies slightly, but was 0.9 in 1966 and 0.7 per 10,000 in 1983. This would suggest that there has been no significant change in the last 60 years, which would not support the proposition of your correspondent.”]