CANCER RESEARCH

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 236, 4 September 1929, Page 7

CANCER RESEARCH

FIGHT AGAINST SCOURGE. COMBINED EFFORT NECESSARY DISCUSSION AT CONGRESS. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright). SYDNEY, Sept. 3. The Medical Congress opened at Sydney iDniversity to-day. There were over 400 in attendance. In.his .inaugural.address Dr. Abbott, the president, stated.that although, so far it. had been .impossible to get immediate results in the fight against cancer, the congress would act as a stimulus to those attacking the problem.

Professor Sandes stated that the appalling destructiveness of cancer disclosed in cases presenting themselves at tlie clinics was a pathetic commentary on the limitation of the power of the medical profession at present to deal with cancer, which was the great problem of the white race. Professor Sandes detailed the research work that was being carried out in Australia, and urged the concentration of further investigation with the fullest frequent consultation among research workers. The cancer campaign, like war, must be carried on by combined effort. Professor Sandes declared that money was easy to obtain, but to secure research w’orkers for cancer was much more difficult. Many brilliant students would becomfi research workers but for the fact" that they had to face an ascetic life," deprived'of many of the comforts enjoyed by an ordinary artisan. Professor MacCallum, of Victoria, reviewed the various forms of research at Melbourne University, which included investigations into the gastrio changes produced in cancer patients, tissue extracts and growths in women. RADIUM TREATMENT.

Dr. Myers, of Brisbane, dealt witli experiments in Queensland. He stated that treatment by lead had fallen into disuse, but treatment by radium was making progress.. One great difficulty was to get people in country centres to get early treatment for what they regarded as. trivial sores. Dr. A. Lendon, of South Australia., emphasised the heed for propaganda. Dr. Burrows detailed the efforts of IJte Commonwealth Government in the direction of research, which mainly consisted of the establishment of radium clinics in the various States. Sir Louis Barnett, of Dunedin, New Zealand, declared that research in New Zealand had been somewhat starved, the Government having no money available, but ho was convinced that much could be done, possibly without actually discovering the cause of cancer. The four large cities in the Dominion had raised funds for radium treatment, while a campaign had been started in Wellington.