CANCER RESEARCH

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 34, 9 August 1934, Page 24

CANCER RESEARCH

THE EMPIRE CAMPAIGN

ANNUAL REPORT

DEATH OF SIR B. GAKTON

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, July C. Tho eleventh annual report of tho British Empire Cancer Campaign refers to tho death on April 22, 1934, in his i 7th year, of Sir Richard Garton. Sir Richard was on 6of tho founders of tho British Empiro Cancer Campaign, and was tho anonymous donor of the original £20,000 on which the campaign was started in 1D23. Evor" since then he had been honorary secretary and treasurer of the campaign. In tho past olovoh years, by his personal service and his business ability, ho has dono a great deal to help tho cause of cancer research. Only fourteen days beforo his death he atended tho quarterly meeting of tho grand council of tho campaign .and took an active part in its deliberations. In 1928 ho paid tho entiro cost of the International Conference on Cancer, which was attended by over 600 delegates from every part of world. Tho main attack of tho campaign (tho report states) is now being directed against tho cancer cell itself. Knowlodge is" increasing about the cell and about the chemical reactions which occur within it, in the body. Such knowledgo is certainly of a kind to .justify a sober optimism, for the onigma of the cancer cell may bo looked upon ns tho last defence of the disease. If this defence crumbles, as it seems to be doing, the. attack can :it last bo pushed home. Many different approaches arc being, made in the- study of tho cancel" cell. Thus, an inquiry is going on about the way in which tho cell obtains the energy necessary for its g^wch, and about tho exact nature of tho chemical processes involved. Another inquiry is elucidating tho effects produced on tho growing cancer cell by the hormones or "chemical messengers" of fho body. Again, the manner in which tho cell divides, tho changes which occur in it as a result of exposure to the gamma ray's of radium, its genetic factors, and the way in which these influence its growth are being studied. AN IMPORTAXT.DISCOVERY. During last year it has been proved that "certain" tumours, artificially produced in fowls by means of tar, can be transferred by cell-free filtrates. This important discovery fills a wide gap in.knowledge. It suggests that the property of being transmissible by cell--I'reo filtrates belongs not to tho tumour, but to the tissues of tho avian host, and that, consequently, the cells of tho fowl's body differ in some* important respect from the cells of the mammal's body. Incidentally, steps havo been taken to produce a strain ■of fowls with .a higher1 susceptibility to cancer, and so to secure that experimental results shall in the future be of a more uniform character. With- tho samo object in view, attempts have also been made to produce a genetically pure stock of fowls by inbreeding brother to sister, for a series of generations. The discovery has been made that if tho blood circulation in Jensen's rat sarcoma is suddenly stopped, tho tumoUr will sometimes regress and disappear. This is the more remarkable because signs of death of the tumour tissues arc not apparent. After the tumour has regressed the animal is, in some cases, immune to further inoculations of the samo tumour. Work on the grading of malignant tumours in relation to tho observed results Of operative removal is proceeding. A series of observations is being made to determine tho paths of spread of tumours, the' frequency- with which the lymphatics are involved, and the nature of such involvement. A new serum, which it is hoped may Bo useful in detecting cancer, Ms been employed in some 300 cases, and has furnished correct information in about 80 per cent, of instances. Though it is" obvious that this percentage is too low to bo of great practical worth, hopes are entertained that the method can bo developed. and improved. THE RADIUM BOMB. It is' evident that great improvements in the method of'using radium bombs have taken place.- These large aggregations of radium were introduced some years ago, but were found to bo dangerous both to doctor and patient as then employed. Happily, the early difficulties havo been overcome with tho result that bombs have bceomd comparatively safe. They are proving effective. It-has been found that they offer tho most efficient method of treatment of cancer of the posterior part of the pharynx and posterieord region. It seems likely, therefore, that mass radiation by bomb will, to a largo extent at any rate, replaco the use of needles and radon seeds in the treatment of cancer in theso areas of the body. A new way of using X-ray.a in cases of ocsophagcal cancer has now been evolved. The results obtained' with deep X-rays by this method' appear to be much better than any results of which accounts have been published. Mo3t of tho patients, indeed, havo been able to swallow again; in some instances normal life has been resumed after complete disappearance of the tumour. These eases, however, aro all 100 recent to permit of a claim being made that permanent cure has been achieved. They present, nevertheless, v striking example of a real advance in 1 rciitment. NEW ZEALAND BRANCH. During tho last three years ovor 5000 cases of cancer have been-observed and treated and statistical records made by the New Zealand branch of the British JEinpiro Cancer Campaign. . According to tho report on tbo Now Zealand branch, the organisation of the clinics in the four centres'is excellent, and much credit for their success is <lno to tho registrars and to tho nursing sistera in attendance. Tho patients attend willingly in large numbers, and are obviously appreciative of the sympathetic and valuable . service the clinics afford them. ■ As a contribution to collective research into tho earlier diagnosis and moro effective treatment of malignant disease the- work of these cliuics is undoubtedly of the highest importance, and already, as a result of tho accumulation and pooling of knowledge, obtained, the victims of this terriblo affliction wore being restored to health and comfort in ever-increasing numbers. Dr. A. M. Bogg, director of the cancer research laboratory, explains the research work done during tho year. Most timo has been devoted to the curative side. Tho beneficial action of purified sodium oloate has been tested on numerous Rous-bearing fowl 3. Dr. Begg ■jives details of all theso experiments. "It seems at least true," says Dr. Begg, "that partial and sometimes complete l-esistanco can bo produced by ths inoculation of mouse tumour extract into normal fowls. Whether or not this induced resistance could aid, say, radium therapy has yet to bo determined; in the case of soap therapy the balance of cured fowls is certainly on the^side-of the resistant ones. "The-question next arises whether the induced resistance is due to n virus hi tho mouse 'tumours (n-s Gyo believe.") fcr merely to a non-specific- ac-IJon. of