BRITAIN’S RADIUM SUPPLY

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 May 1936, Page 5

BRITAIN’S RADIUM SUPPLY

LAST STOCKS BEING USED. LONDON, March 20. The last available supplies of radium in this country for the treatment of disease are now being drawn upon at a time when still larger quantities are needed. ,This statement is made by the National Radium Commission in its sixth annual report, issued to-day, covering the period August 1, 1934, to July 1, 1935. The report states: “There has been an increasing demand during the year under review. Several of the most responsible and progressive centres require more radium for carrying out their work. “With a growing list of patients and the use of radium in mass units, many of the most responsible centres in the country have less than they need. The shortage is likely to be felt more strongly in the near future unless a larger supply is forthcoming.” There are in England, Scotland, and Wales 13 National Rddlitm Centres, five Regional Centres and four recognised hospitals. In addition 58 hospitals are dependent on their own supplies of radium, while some rateaided hospitals also provide radium treatment.

There are still large areas where treatment cannot be considered reasonably available. It is not eertafn that existing centres could receive any large influx from those areas. Large masses of radium were proving a valuable means of treatment in some forms of cancer, but only one five-guinea unit, was in use in Great Britain. It was highly desirable to increase the number of large units. Since national radium first became available nearly six years ago about 20 grammes have been put at the Commission’s disposal. The Commission believes that another 20 grammes could be used. While fully realising that much encouraging experience is being gained daily, the Commission desires to deprecate "the ill-considered statements as to wonderful results which have been obtained in the radium and X-ray department of cancer.” “The possibility of recurrence of the disease after apparent cure compels the cautious to avoid the use of the word ’cure’ altogether. The phraser used in the statistical reports <>f the Commission are ‘apparently free from disease’ or ‘survival rate at the end of years.’

"It is undesirable that false hopes should be raised on the subject of such a formidable disease as cancer.”