PROBLEM OF CANCER

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 105, 31 October 1923, Page 7

PROBLEM OF CANCER

DISORDERLY CELLS GROWTHS PRODUCED IN ANIMALS THE RADIUM £10,000 APPEAL. The_ .whole problem of cancer is . comprised in the perverted activity of certain cells. A most informative lecture on cancer was given last evening by Dr. C. M. Hector, Government Pathologist, under the auspices of the Red Cross Society, at the society's rooms, the lecture hall of which, was filled with an attentive audience. Lantern slides, explained by Dr. Hector, illustrated the structure and development of the various cells of the body, and the effect on them of growths—malignant and otherwise— arising from rebellious or independent or disorderly cells. The chairman of the Red Cross Society, Mr. T. A. Hunt, referred to the prevalence of cancer as a national peril, and added: Cancer is an insidious, dangerous disease in that in its early stages it is quite painless, and it is in the early stages only that it is certainly curable. In its later stages it is agonisingly painIt is in 'easing the pain of the later stages that radium is so valuable, while it is also very beneficial in the early stages in checking the growth of cancer, and in certain cases completely curing tile disease. " Cancer takes greater toll of life and ! causes more suffering than any other disease. In the course of seconding the vote of thanks at'the close of the proceedings, Mr. C. H. Chapman mentioned that the Superintendent of the Wellington Hospital, Dr. v Wilson, who would shortly return to Wellington, had gained certain information about radium that caused him to support very strongly the effort to raise money for a radium department of Wellington Hospital. Such evidence of the use of radium, and of the cures made with the help of radium, would strongly aid the Radium Appeal. ABNORMAL DEVELOPMENT OF CELLS. At an early stage of his lecture, Director asked, " What is cancer*:" He proceeded to give the answer: In a memorandum on csncer issued v August of this year by the British Ministry of Health, the term "cancer"

********** ********* * FOR A RADIUM DEPART. * * MENT, £10,OCO %. *' * * . (net) is to be raised by voluntary, * * gift. The General Committee of »fc * the Radium Appeal states: * * "We desire to do this by Christ- * * mas, as the community's Christ- '* * mas gift to our unfortunate * * fellow-beings who now lie % * stricken w;th this disease, and * * to our children and' children's * * children who in years to come ifc * may be doomed to its ravages, *$ * and, by this means to afford ft * them Borne hope of a cure; or at * least relief from their pain and i^ * suffering. We appeal to you to * * your friends, to every" man, * * woman, and child, to help us in $* * this noble effort. No greater joy % * will ever come to you than to %■ * know that some of the wealth % * which God has entrusted to your #$ * keeping has been used for" the * * * * Relief of Your Suffering * * Fellows." ' * *' * ********** **##**#.£§

is applied to a group of morbid conditions, known to affect man and the lower animals (even including fishes) in all parts of the civilised world. The members of-this group differ widely in naked eye and microscopic appearance, ,in the iige'.of individuals attacked, in the rapidity with which they run their course, and in their liability" to become diffused throughout the body. But they all agree in the following respects:—

(1) They are manifestations of a disorderly growth, of "some tissue of the body.

(2) They are at first local. (3) They are nat encapsuled but pro' greasively invade adjacent parts.

(4) They tend to become disseminated m distant parts of the body.

(5) They lead sooner or later, if untreated, to the death of the individual iv the vast majority of cases.

After outlining the history of cancer research, and the great sums expended on it in recent years, Dr. Hector continued : ' .

Ixow, in spite of this immense concentration of effort, the root cause or causes on which cancer depends still remain obscure. But these researches have taught us something. They have shown' us that the "mechanism, -so to speak, of cancer is quite simple. Certain cells in the body— apparently normal—begin to grow and multiply in an abnormal way; they continue persistently ; they invade and destroy the surrounding tissue, and by penetrating vessels they get carried to distant parts of the'body, where they start fresh centres of growth.

What are these cells, and why do they behave in this way?- Many theories have been put forward to account for their origin and behaviour (some of these were indicated by means of lantern slides). But the general conclusion of all research up to date is that they are originally normal body cells; that for some reason, or under some influence not yet understood, they have been seduced from their subservience to the body as a whole and have become independent units. By continual multiplication they squeeze themselves into the interstices of the tissues round about; by pressure they cut off their own blood supply, and thereby they undergo degeneration, ulceratiou, and secondary infection; they also interfere with organs on which they press. The cells in themselves apparently do not produce any poison beyond that due to their degen eration products. The cachexia. or wasting of cancer is a secondary process and there are no immunity reactions as with bacterial infections.

PERVERTED ACTIVITIES. The whole problem of cancer, then is comprised in the perverted activities of certain cells. But it may be asked: What is understood by the use of the word "cells"? The term was first used to describe the small- components of which elementary plants were seen to be composed. In plants each vital unit, so to speak, is commonly contained in a well-defined wall of cellulose. It was then found ,Uwt awmal tututs were also composed j

of similar elements without a wall; nevertheless the term "cell" was also applied :to -them.

The human body is entirely composed of cells and their products. There must be millions upon millions of cells of different shapes and sizes, all subservient to the- needs of the body as a whole. Hoy.-.are they kept in this bondage? What makes some break away? The primitive cell is a mass of jelly, like material, containing certain bodies of which the kernel or nucleus is the most important, and having certain functions, such as the powers of assimilation, excretion, secretion, multiplication, etc. In the human body the form, of the cells shows great variation according to their position and function. Those on the surface, the cells of the skin, are flat and horny. Those lining the alimentary canal are columnar and soft. la fact, the tissues of any organ have in. general a characteristic size and shape., Tumours likewise are comprised of cells and their products. In some tumours the cells are arranged in' an orderly manner and resemble one or other of the tissues of the body. These tumours are found to be slow-growing,' non-recur-rent after removal, and comparatively harmless. They are therefore spoken of as benign or non-malignant tumours." Other tumours, as stated, have a disorderly growth, infiltrate adjacent tissues, give rise to distant growth, and recur after removal. They are therefore called malignant growths. Of malignant growths it has been th» custom to make two main groups: (1) Sarcomata, derived from the so-'."" called pulp or supporting tissues of the body;

(2) Carcinomata, derived from the covering of lining tissues of the body • and from glands derived from these. ' All of these malignant growths are to be considered as cancers in the public mind; in fact, recent research has shown that there is no real difference between them; that they may pass insensibly into one another; and that they can be produced by the same cause. -'; ■"*."."."

RADIUM NEEDS A SKILLED

APPLICANT.

After showing a number of lantern slides, Dr. Hector continued: "In the slides we have had glimpses of one or two of the theories put forward to explain the cause and mechanism of the cancer process. There are many-more of them. I will not attempt to discuss them' further, but with reference to the Xrays and radium, on which we' have competent authorities in our midst, I would like to say this: Research with, radium has shown that its application must be coiftrolled entirely by skilled experts. The dose must be exactly graduated to the condition being dealt with. Too small a dose will stimulate, the growth; too large a dose will" destroy not only the growth but a great deal of healthy surrounding tissue leading to horrible scarring and other troubles. The cancer cells are more vulnerable to radium than normal tissua cells, and herein lies our hope of defeating the enemy, but you can readily perceive that' much skill and sound judgment will be required. "Another curious property of X-rays and radium has been brought out: W« have all heard of the comparative freedom of the Jews from cancer. You have also heard something of late of the important dietetic factors , called vitamines. Of these there are three: Vitamine A, soluble in fata; Vitamin©. B, soluble in water; Vitamine C, anti-scor-butic. The absence of these from diet produces certain well-recognised effects on the body. Research has shown- that the- underlying feature of Vitamine A deficiency is a progressive diminution in the blood platelets, and further, that when these are diminished below half the normal, the animal becomes susceptible _to all sorts of microbic infections' against which it is normally immune; these infections clear up when Vitamine A is administered to the animal. This is a very important principle. Vitamine B deficiency is shown to consist in a. steady diminution in the lymphocytes of the blood, leading to a severe form of anaemia. Now, the important thing for us to consider, and which I think wo should take as a warning against indiscriminate use.of X-rays and radium by unskilled persons, is that both these deadly effects! are produced by excessive and_ incautiou| application of X-ray.s and radium.

FIBIGER'S COCKROACHES AXD

EATS.

"Many other advances have resulted flom the intensive research to which I have alluded: I will only, mention one or two of the most important: Thus, it has been found possible to make an artificial medium on which, cancer cells can be grown in vitro (as bacteria ara cultured in test tubes) and can b» studied apart from, and in conjunction with other tissue cells; and it is thus found that they have important interrelations. Further, it has been found possible to propagate cancerous tumours in mice from one generation to another and to learn their life history, as it were; to study the susceptibility or otherwise of related species and the condition of the animals as to susceptibility after removal of a growth and so forth. Also, it has now been possible to produce cancer directly by the action of irritant bodies liks tar, paraffin, etc. "Another remarkable discovery is that of Fibiger, of Copenhagen, on cancer in rats. He accidentally found rats with cancer of the stomach; a, hitherto unknown condition. Sections revealed the presence in the cancerous growth of a thread worm, hitherto unknown. A similar worm has been described as infesting cockroaches. Fibiger investigated the ordinary cockroach with negative results, but a fortunate chance led him to an old building swarming with rats and cockroaches of a different species, the American cockroach brought • frosnthe "West Indies in 6Ugar. '

Here Fibiger found what he was searching for. The majority of the rates had cancer and the 'majority of the cockroaches harboured the worm. He fed healthy rats on the cockroaches; the rats developed cancer. He fed cockroaches on eggs. of the worm; the larvae of the worm developed in the bodies of the cockroaches. . •■.; It may seem strange to you, when we consider the ■' extraordinary advances what the human mind has made in the last twenty years, reaching out into limitless space and down to the innermost structure of matter,..that a problem of so much importance as the cancer problem has not been' cleared up yet. But I hope I have given you some insight, mto the difficulties—that I have shown that some real advance has been made and that the future is full of hope." _ In conclusion, Dr. Hector quoted from an editorial article in the British Medical Journal on "Cancer, its Causes and Treatment by Sadiron" : The public is waiting for a startling discovery of the cause of cancer, or some dramatic invention for its cure. This may, of course, be achieved in the future," but in the meantime it is reassuring to realise that if the problem of cancer is viewed in its natural perspective, and its dimensions, positions, and relations thoughtfully considered, it becomes obvious that the tide of knowledge is rising steadily and irresistibly :

For while the tired waves, vainly breaking Seem hers no painful inch to gain " . Fay back, through creeks and inlets makintr Comas silent, flooding in, the taw