FIGHT AGAINST CANCER.

Evening Star, Issue 20311, 21 October 1929, Page 8

FIGHT AGAINST CANCER.

Cancer is the gravest and most urgent problem of modern medicine and surgery. This is no rash assertion, but a considered and authoritative statement issued by the Provisional Committee, of which Sir Louis Barnett is chairman, set up for the purpose of establishing an Otago and Southland division of the New Zealand branch of the British Empire Campaign. In the last twentyfive or thirty years astonishing progress has been made in the conquest of disease. With the inarch of science the deaths from such maladies as tuberculosis, diphtheria, certain types of fever, and other disorders have been sensibly reduced. In fact, in almost the whole of the medical field the surgeon and physician, having the advantage of the fuller knowledge that is now available, is able to treat a case of illness with a confidence not possessed by the medical men of other days. One striking exception is the dreaded cancer. It is a foe that is still undefeated. The ravages of this disease are known to everyone in a general way. In the circular issued by the Provisional Committee they are put concisely and authoritatively. It is stated that at a low estimate every "tenth person who reaches middle life is doomed to die of cancer, and in order to get a full realisation of the position there must also be taken into account the numerous cases that have been cured as a result of early treatment and instances where death has occurred from some other cause before cancer has done its fell work. Far from presenting an exaggerated view of the matter, the committee’s statement is on the conservative side. Taking the last report of the Director-General of Health in New Zealand, we read that the death rate of 9.87 per 10,000 of living persons represents an increase on the preceding year, “Cancer is principally confined to persons of forty years of age and upwards, and during 1928, of all persons over the age of forty years whose deaths were registered, one in every seven of males and one in every six of females died from cancer.”

As this report points out, the cause of the disease is still a mystery, and a very alarming aspect is that it is increasing in prevalence— not greatly, it is true; but that it should become more frequent at all is most disturbing when we consider the improved hygienic conditions and the great advance in medical skill and knowledge. One significant fact is that highly-civilised people are more prone to the invasion of cancer than other races.' It is clear that the time has come for a general attack all along the line. Research workers at many points ar6 concentrating their energies on the problem. In Germany, Austria, France, and the United States well-equipped stations are busily engaged, while in Great Britain for years past distinguished medical scientists have been employed on intensive research. The outcome is the British Cancer Campaign. It is a movement that deserves . ungrudging support, and it is to be hoped that the meeting called for to-mOrrow afternoon at the Regent Theatre will be largely attended. The call is to the whole Empire for support financially and in every other way that is practicable. In the matter of research the Medical School in Dunedin can render service, for one of the objects as outlined by the Provisional Committee is to study in the various laboratories, under the supervision of experts,, the numerous problems, connected with cancer—“ problems that will be distributed amongst all the laboratories of the scientific world in such a way as to avoid unnecessary repetition and waste of effort.” That statement will anticipate any suggestion that our University is too remote from the centre of things to render any help in this great research movement.