CANCER TREATMENT

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 March 1925, Page 3

CANCER TREATMENT

RESULTS A’I~*CHRISTCHURCH.' (Special to ‘Star.’’) CHRISTCHURCH, March 24. In his report to to-day’s meeting of the North Canterbury Hospital Board, on the work of the radium and deep therapy Department, Dr P. C. fi'enwick stated U at the total number of patients to date was 111. During the month 90 patients had been treated with radium and 18 with deep therapy. The total number of treatments given to date had been >559 radium applications, and 126 deep therapy applications. The report continued: Mr Hines has made, with the assistance of the Engineer’s Department, a solid block of lead in which our radium needles can be kept. This will greatly reduce the danger of handling dur instruments. A set of cubicles has .been arranged in the corridor opposite the department and we are now able to treat a number of patients simultaneously with comfort. It is too early to make any statement as to the results of the treatment, but my notes and follow-up reports show the following:—Twenty-six cases have reported to me every fortnight by post, and 18 of these cjses ( report that they have put on weight and are feeling better. A large number of cases report in person for weighing, and I am glad to isay the majority state they feel better in health. I regret that many of the patients applying for treatment are in a very advanced state of the disease, but several of thesd have reported 1 that there has been considerable relief from pain. It is only in the non-maiignant cases that one can use the word “cure.” No case is classified as cured until the lapse of five years from cessation of symptoms, so I have not used the word cured, in either the malignant or non-inalig nant cases.