CANCER RESEARCH

Evening Star, Issue 25677, 28 December 1945, Page 7

CANCER RESEARCH

STEADY PROGRESS IN BRITAIN

A report presented to the London meeting of the British Empire Cancer Campaign on December 21 records the steady progress of cancer research in Britain despite war-time difficulties. Cancer, however, still remains the major fatal disease, from which over 70,000 die annually in Britain. A universal cure for cancer is not yet in sight. Cancer control by synthetic hor-“ moues in imitation of the chemical action of the human body was first announced two years ago, and its effects are being studied by a joint committee of the Empire Campaign and hhe Royal Society of Medicine. Meanwhile recent work on atomic energy, has enabled the use of more potent forms of radiation than was thought possible 22 years ago, when the campaign began activities. The campaign has held consultations with other interested bodies on tlie possibilities of this treainent, and this work has been closely linked with that of the Research Committee on medical and biological applications of nuclear physics set up by the British Government. Another field of investigation proceeding in Britain is the possibility of treatment by serum obtained from tumours subjected to radiation.

Meanwhile on the practical side the Minister of Health’s report records progress in developing long-term treatment systems under the 1939 Cancer Act, following inevitable war-time delay. Under the Act the Government was to supervise the institution of a chain of local diagnosis centres, where expert clinical advice and the most modern methods of treatment would be available to all sufferers. Even before the Act Britain had 22 centres for radium treatment alone. In the past year interim regional schemes have been developed, designed to make the best use of available resources pending the anticipated expansion in training radio-therapy specialists.