MYSTERIES OF CANCER

Hokitika Guardian, 19 December 1925, Page 4

MYSTERIES OF CANCER

DR LV.MSDKN’S EFFORTS TO SOLVE THEM. LONDON. October 17. Dr Thomas Immsdeii who has been granted by the Hrnnd Council of the British Empire Cancer Campaign CI.OOO a year for six years to devote his whole time to cancer research, vesterdav showed a reporter some reinaikubio results of his efforts to solve the mvsterv of earner.

This was in his laboratory at ‘the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine, Chelsea. S.AY.. where for some time jiast Dr Lumsdeu has been carrying out experiments on rats, mice and rabbits. He has succeeded, as others had previously done, in “growing” cancer cells and under the miorosope the latest growths were to he seen. They were like minute jelly fish and almost poifeetly round. “They are fat and round just at this moment because they have vecentlv been fed." Dr I.mnsden explained. “Normally they are spiky little creatures and variously shaped.” RAPID GROWTH.

“ | have found." he added. “ that cancer cells will grow quite rapidly in normal serum, hut that they can he killed within a few minutes by serum, obtained from an animal which has been immunised against the particular brand of cancer.

■•Tee next thing to try was in produce .similar results in the living animal. This also has suceeeded. for it is found that in certain conditions one can “ kill out ” malignant tumours in a living rat by means of the antiserum. “ When an animal had two tumours and one of them was killed by injecting anti-serum into if. and near it. the remaining untreated tum.oiir gradually disappeared too. This would appear to indicate that the killed, or degenerated cancer cells act like a. vaccine and bring about an active immunity in the animal. CHIEF LINE OF INQUIRY. “ Killing an inoculated tumour in an animal, however, is a very different thing from dealing with a spontaneous tumour in a hitman being; at Hie same iime the fact tlial the former can be done is sufficiently hopeful In encourage further efforts to unravel some of (ho mysteries of malignant growths.”

Dr Lumsdeu added that lie was now trying to discover whether he could so treat, cancer cells taken from a living body that when injected into that body again thev would produce immunity from tlie disease. “ This will he my chief line of inquire for some time to come.'’ he said. •• H I succeed if will remain to he seen whe| t'er His method can he applied to numerous tumours in human beings. “ While I am hopeful that future exluuinienf,s will he of definite use in dealing with cancer, it must he understood that fl’oiigh we who arc engaged in cancer research are making progress. we have not vet arrived at a

stage where it is possible to do anything for man—and it will, even if all geos well, he some lime before we tan possibly reach tlial stage.”