THE CURE OF CANCER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 939, 5 October 1910, Page 8

THE CURE OF CANCER.

EARLY RESORT TO SURGERY. By.Telcgraph—Press Association—Oopyrieht. 'London, October 3. At the International Cancer Conference in Paris Professor Delbet:read.:a paper, in which he stated that cancer was not incurable if early resort was made .to'surgery. He made no reference to any other treatment. WHAT WE KNOW OF CANCER. 'i '.AN'INTERESTING REVIEW.: Speaking at the meeting of the British Medical Association in' London in July last, Dr. Gilbert ■ Barling, Professor of Surgery in the. University of Birmingham, spoke on the subject of malignant disease.' |Dr. Ba,fling said that whilst they realised their'ignorance of the absolute cause, they must appreciate the' fact that their know-' ledgej of -malignant-disease, and of- the means, by: which they could rei.-cve ana .cure _cancer,' had advanced, and was.- advancing, in a, most.. hopeful manner.'.. " , Pathological and clinical ■knowledge afforded evidence .of. the. struggle in the human, subject between the. tissues, auu the;parasite cancer..' There',was evidenc6' that the tissues, did resist, and. that between, them and, the disease'there was a real; struggle which occasionally ended in spontaneous/..!cure..':„.Of' the absolute nature :of/'the/ resistance' -to /'malignant 'disease, :little, -if anything, was known: at present. ■';, ;/ ," : ; ■;;■' '/'''.;. : When- 'considering. the means; available for the cure or the amelioration of'lualig-. nant./growths;:.: certain .modes of.; treat-' ment ;.by cancer serums and /by drugs' might be; disregarded as futile!,: The,i.-' rays.-, had a real field of usefulness'in re-, lieving "pain,- in reducing the' activity of inoperable .growthsj./but. personally, .he; had-never/kiiown an .unequivocal'..iiialigi' n'ant growth, absolutely disappear under the influence of X-rays, though apparent-, ly others: had occasionally, been more/for-: 'tunate. ..'■.■'..■'- '- • '.'.. -.-'"■"/•;"'■'■;■ ;'-,"■.-/ '-V' : /Turning to': another side ,'bf,' "radio;-' therapy, i as-:.provided [by; radium, .they found; much ,which-/ was „'promising,, but /little/ conclusive;. -A' -profound .impressioni ...was produced in/inahy-/'ih-'stance's, and 'malignant, tumours o£. large extent/.might; disappear or-.d'iminsh,/ but' ther-improvemeht arid the "apparent '"■re--cbvery ,; were,. apt , to, : W: - dei>ep'ur'e',';.. and' i.there/was.' a subsequent return' / of;. '.the: grow'tK; ifwhich' progressed; until, the' ; pa,tieiir,.die'dJ;/;''-;: ::■/:'■/// ■', :•/'■')/ ' ';::/";;// -':He'was compelled to'say-that.after-con-; iSidering;.all'' ; other -means, , they-/had/to rely/'at present upon operative measures, as .the 1 great remedy- for /malignant''disease.' ,'Sometimes, owing, to inaccessibility,. at, others.,to the vital nature of/the parts involved; 'of ten' because of {the fact that malignant'- disease/was essentially .the .'disease of-advancing, age,: they were /powerless, ''...and:,-sorrowfully.: had;:'tb" recognise their'./impotence/; But:.when ..all this was accepted,; a great, ,and - expanding:'-neiu. :was open/to the surgeon..' / "'.'' ,/ . -Without / relying ;on the ..teaching: .that three-; years', freedom; from;; - recurrence implied ;"cdre, : . they/ might recognise .the' inf reqiiency/i of -; the. .later' return "ot .1 tne disease,/and if ,they/assigned five yeais 'as I 'the. period 'after,/ which very/, rarely ".took'N.place,-.they:'might /absolutely :accept: the -curability: of' cancer by. operation.• /-This was'a fact: not/yet, he believed, so/fully, accepted- as'it'should, be/by the members^'qf/the profesaion.t.ofid, certainly,not/by; the/public.at/large: ■■ / ;.;Only;;6n'e/real.;opportunity,'for.: ,cure ; existed..,.' /This 'was/at/the first"operation,'; and. this. should. bo;'pressed•- to/its' fullest extent;.'-, •■■ More -. important/ than anything, was /early.-'re'cognition;. of.' the-'disease',"' and in; that-dir.ectioh/was/the'; great hope for.' the- future. /'..;, :■;-./. :;;-■, ;.-/.; /';;/"■'..//'•'