ALARMING INCREASE

Evening Star, Issue 20313, 23 October 1929, Page 12

ALARMING INCREASE

VICTIMS CLAIMED BY CANCER CAMPAIGN TO COMBAT DISEASE LAITY CO-OPERATE WITH SCIENCE Cancer is increasing at an alarm ing rate. The present ratio of attack actu ally exceeds 10 per cent, of the population, and if the progressive rate of increase is allowed to continue unchecked it will not be very long before cancer will claim as its victims the majority of our people who have reached middle-age or over. Has medical science then done nothing effective in the face of such , a perilous outlook? Undoubtedly it has, but it could do much more if it had the help and the full cooperation of tho laity. Sir Louis Barnett made a stirring appeal for support at the inauguration of the Otago and Southland Division of the British Empire Cancer Campaign in the Regent Theatre late vesterday afternoon The attendance was very large, and the campaign was successfully launched, tho laity combining with science in the fight against the dreaded disease.

“This is a serious meeting on a serious subject. We have to tackle this problem with al 1 the energy in our being,” said the Mayor (Mr 11. S. Black). The mention of cancer sent a shudder through everyone. It was one of the curses which should be eliminated from tho troubles affecting the Imnian race. The combating of the dreaded scourge was undertaken in earnest in England some six or seven years ago, and huge sums of money were given by people who felt that anything to be done to eliminate the evil deserved their strongest support. Divisions were to lie established in the four centres, the Otago division to extend from the Waitaki to Bluff. Several large donations had already been received. Sir Louis Barnett had received a letter from tho secretary of the Wellington' Committee congratulating the mayor and citizens of Dunedin on the steps they had taken to form an Otago division. “We are pleased to know.” the writer added, “ that tho cancer reseirch work in vr ' , w Zealand is to bo carried out by m r A. M. Bogg, a graduate of the Ounedin Medical School, and we hope your optimism will be fully realised. Wo are grateful to the Press of Now Zealand for the splendid publicity which has been given on this subject on behalf of suffering humanity.” Wellington, said Mr Black, had shown its interest in the work bv raising the salary of Dr Begg for three years. That was a wonderful effort. Cancer was now a greater curse than tuberculosis, and it was their duty to reheve suffering humanity. Mr Black read a long list of apologies, all the absentees assuring the meeting of their support. MORE KNOWN OF DISEASE. “In the short period of ten minutes which is allowed to me to-day lor my talk to you on the subject of the cancer campaign i' can put before you only a few of the reasons which justify the promoters of the B.E.C.C. m asking for your sympathy, your encouragement, and your practical support,” said Sir Louis E. Barnett. “You all know that cancer is increasing at an alarming rate. The present ratio of attack actually exceeds 10 per cent, of tho population, and if the progressive rate of increase is allowed to continue unchecked, it will not bo. very long before cancer will claim as its victims tho majority of our people who have reached middle age or over. Has medical _ science then done nothing effective in the face of such a perilous outlook? Undoubtedly it has, but it could do much more if it had the help and the full co-operation of the laity. In hundreds of laboratories and clinics the world over, investigations ot almost every conceivable kind have been made into tho nature, the structure, the mode of growth of cancer, tho influences that are favourable, the influences that are injurious, the methods of prevention, and the methods of cure. As a result doctors do know far moie about cancer than they did. They cure far more cases than they did, and if they get the help of the public they will be able to do a great deal more in the way of cure and a great deal more in the wav of prevention. y

Cancer has been proved to be an error, an abnormality, a riotous misbehaviour, a veritable insanity in the growth and multiplication of certain of the body cells. What exactly is the ultimate cause* of that error we have vet to find out. Ton probably know that we, like all other living things, start our existence as one little mi croseopic mass of protoplasm called a cell, a cell fertilised by the combination of male and female elements and miraculously endowed with all the inherited properties and instincts of its forbears through untold ages. From this one cell, by processes of mutiplication and differentiation arise all the wonderful complexities of the liviim body. Normally the cells multiply wherever they are needed, and no more and no less than they are needed. If, however, conditions of environment and, may be, conditions of hereditv are unsuitable then variations or abnormalities tend to occur. Plants and animals that are bred and treated in a manner different from what their previous generations were accustomed to show a marked tendency to variations in growth, many of which are actually akm to tumours and cancers.” Civilised man lived under conditions that were very different from those of the native or natural man. His life was comparatively sheltered and luxurious, hut his body, his growth, his constitution were originally built up in the environment of the native man. an environment of open air and simple living extending over a period of hundreds of thousands of years. Civilisation, as they called it. was the product of only 5,000 or 6,000 years. Man was not adapted physically, not yet, at any rate, for such an unusual change of environment. Medical research showed that under the natural conditions of life exemplified in tho native races not only was cancer unusual, but many other diseases that were common in highly-civilised people—for example, carious teeth, adenoids, enlarged tonsils, and appendicitis—were equally uncommon-

UNNATURAL MODERN LIFE

There seemed to be no doubt that the development of cancer was favoured by the unnatural conditions of modern civilised life. “ Nature ” could bo the slogan for the cancer campaign as .well as for nfant wellare and health generally. A series of investigations that were giving promising results were those concerned with the influence of repeated or chronic irritation in producing cancer or in changing a nonmalignant growth into a cancerous one. The public had to be warned cf the risks arising from the long-continued irritations brought about by such things as faulty diet, excess of meat, and highly-seasoned foods, and food that was swallowed too hot, abuse of

alcohol, and excessive pipe-smoking, bad teeth, constipation, interference witii tho natural iiuict.ons of the breast and uterus, the presence oh the body of moles, especially tho pigmented variety, of scaly patches, lumps, and excrescences, tho persistence of fissures at the mouth ol the uterus and elsewhere, apd many other little troubles that he had no time to refer to just then. “TOO LATE I” “The abnormal growth of cells which wo call cancer has been proved by medical science to be a local development to begin with, so that if it can be removed early before glands are involved or distant parts invaded a permanent cure can in most cases be assured,” said Sir Louis. “1 am well within the mark when 1 say that under modern treatment 70 per cent, of early cases can be permanently cured; but, alas, the cry ‘ Too late 1’ is the cry too often heard, for tho majority of the eases that a doctor m*»s «an no longer be classed as early oases. When the glands are involved not more than 30 per cent, of cures can bo expected, and when distant parts are invaded the outlook for permanent cure is well-nigh hopeless. But methods of treatment are improving rapidly. As a result of careful research work tho, safety and success of operations have been greatly increased, and, as y r ou all know, the introduction of radium and X-rays for tho treatment of cancer has brought about marvellously-improved results. With further laboratory and clinical study the radiation treatment of cancer is becoming the method of election in certain regions of tho body, notably the tongue and tho uterus, and many’ difficult and dangerous operations formerly recommended are becoming things of the past.” For the effective carrying out of the objects of the cancer campaign it was proposed that in each of the four chief cities of the dominion there should be established

(T) A fully-equipped and staffed radium and X-ray department. We have in Dunedin the nucleus of such a department, but a great deal of additional expenditure is needed to bring it fully up to modern requirements. _ (2) A cancer clinic at each main hospital, including on its staff representatives of surgery, medicine, gynsecology, pathology, and radiology. Cancer cases will be encouraged to come to this clinic, and to come early. Their cases will bo investigated by the doctors. aided by the patient’s own medical attendant, and tho appropriate treatment. be it surgical, medical, or radiological, or all combined duly advised. This hospital clinic. witb_ jts special wards, consulting and waiting rooms, and emiipment, will call for a considerable outlav of money. (3) A special!,v-equipped laboratory in one of the centres—it is to be Dunedin—staffed with experts able to give the necessary assistance to the clinical branches of research, and also able to take part in the elucidation of some of the many problems that are concerned with the the cause, the prevention. and tho cure of cancer. “There are many things that I must nerforee leave unsaid, hut T do_ hope that I have succeeded in convincing von that t.b’s nuhb'c-«nirited movement, this British Empire cancer campaign, is worthy of your sympathy and generous ennno’-t.” ermcbidpd Rir Louis. DOMINION LAGGING BEHIND. Tho motion was seconded by Dr D’Ath (professor of pathology at the Otago University), who said that New Zealand was ( Jagging behind other countries in its attempts to tacklo the cancer problem. In Australia the importance of this subject had been realised, and both tho Commonwealth Government and the University of Sydney had tackled the problem in earnest. He would give a brief outline of the activities of the Commonwealth Government and the University of Sydney in this connection. In 1926 Mr David Benjamin, treasurer of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, had obtained tho support of the Sydney University Senate in making a public appeal for funds for cancer research and treatment. The people of New South Wales had responded generously to the appeal, with the result that £134,000 had been collected and given in trust to Sydney University for tho purposes mentioned. This amount of £134,000 had been made up of 100,000 separate donations, showing the wide interest taken by the people of that State in tho movement. A tremendous amount of work bad already been done with this money, and Sydney’s contribution to tho cancer problem had received world-wido commendation. EFFICIENT RADIUM CLINICS.

Up-to-date X-ray and radium departments had been organised in the principal public hospitals, and efficient radium clinics had been established. One tangible result of this effort* on Sydney’s part was that Australia now led the world in the treatment of cancer of the skin. The Australian pub lie had been so educated now that more and more of them came for treatment of skin cancer while the condition was in the early pre-cancerous stage, and a short application of radium for an hour or so effected a permanent cure .without so much as leaving a scar. In research also a great deal had been done in Sydney. Australia, like New Zealand, had its own peculiar local problems in cancer research, which could best be tackled locally. The Sydney University had placed their laboratories at the disposal of the Cancer Research Committee, and investigations directed towards throwing light on causation of cancer were in progress. In addition, investigations into better methods of treatment were being carried out, and had produced very gratifying results, especially in cancer of the skin, as already mentioned. Meanwhile tne Commonwealth Government had not been inactive. In 1927 they had set aside £IOO,000 for tho purchase of radium, so convinced had they been by the results achieved by this form of treatment. The radium had been distributed amongst the large public hospitals. Tho Commonwealth Government had then gone a step further. It had se cured the services of one of the world’s authorities on radium. Dr Burrows, of Manchester, as its permanent adviser. Tho services of this expert were available to all the hospitals using radium In addition to £134,000 collected by public subscription in Sydney, Queensland had collected £50,000 for cancer research and treatment, and Western Australia £15.000. In South Australia and Victoria campaigns were now in progress, with very promising results to date.

TIME SOMETHING WAS DONE. This was just a brief resume of what had been done in Australia, and it was an indication that it was time something was done in New Zealand. There were certain avenues of research which were peculiarly suited to New Zealand conditions. The Central Committee ol the cancer campaign in Wellington had decided to make Dunedin its research centre for several reasons. There was in the ( Medical School very up-to-date laboratories efficiently equipped and staffed by personnel trained in research methods, and they had all the necessary accommodation for experimental animals. Dr Begg, an Otago graduate in medicine, had been appointed to take charge of cancer research in Dunedin. He 8 ’ had for a number of years been engaged in this work in the cancer research institutes of London and the Continent. He had been for some time

associated with Drs Barnard and Gye, whose work on cancer received considerable publicity a few years ago. “ It will be evident that the Central Committee has made a wise choice, and I think we can look forward, with the co-operation of the public, to some very useful work,” Dr d’Ath concluded. The motion was carried. GENERAL COMMITTEE FORMED. On the motion of Mr W. E. S. Knight (chairman of the Hospital Board), seconded by Mr R. W. Hall (Mayor of St. Kilda), the meeting decided to appoint a committee, and the following members were elected: —The Mayor, Sir Louis Barnett, Bishop Rich ards, Bishop Whyte, the Rev. A. Astor, the Rev.- W. Hewitson, the Rev. V. G. Bryan King, Sir Lindo and Ladv Ferguson, Mrs Marshall Macdonald. Drs Douglas (Oarnaru), Riley, Newlands, Crawshaw (medical officer of health), Batchelor, Falconer, Fitohett, Hercus. D’Ath, Gordon Bell, and Car malt Jones, Messrs E. I. Halsted, P. Crawshaw (Mayor of Oarnaru), A. Barnett, C. W. Rattray, 11. J. Guthrie. P. R. Sargood, J. Wallace, C. B. Smith, and W. B. S. Knight, the committee to have power to add to its number. Sir Louis Barnett said a meeting of the committee would be held in the Town Hall next week, when the various sub-committees would he formed to carry out the campaign. A film depicting the ravages of cancer and the effect of radium on the growing cells was explained by Sir Lindo Ferguson, who also expressed the appreciation of the organisers of the generosity of tho Regent Theatre management in giving the use of the theatre and plant free of charge.