ADVANCING YEARS DO NOT MAKE MORE PRONE TO CANCER

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6665, 19 July 1928, Page 7

ADVANCING YEARS DO NOT MAKE MORE PRONE TO CANCER

Simply Give Greater Time for Development THE GYE-BERNABD CLAIMS ' DESTROYED ; 11 Aust. Press Assn.—United Service. Eeceived Wednesday, 11.15 p.m. - . -LONDON, JULY 17. The Empire Cancer Conference, at which ■ Sir Joint Bland Sutton is prois’ attracting wide interest. The programme includes 50 papers, mostly British, French, and American. There are none by New Zealanders. papers-suggested that radiotherapy was probably the most successful in the early stages. JJf. Donaldson, of „the London ; Hospital, expressed the opinion that insurance companies were in a position to afford a iuost useful-co-operation by ori faring special terms to clients medically examined ‘every six months, thereby ensuring the earliest diagnosis. Sir Gilbert Barling (Birmingham) suggested that tobacco smoking mu M possible explanation of the preponderance.©!'certain types of cancer in males compared with females. Professor Ewing (New York) ■ said that coal tar products'produced cancer with greater certainty than any known itritant: ,Dr. Archibald Leitch, director of the Cancer -Eesearch Hospital,' said that tho fact that cancer was largely a disease, of the middle-aged and elderly 'must not' bo attributed.-to'the senility of the tissues. - It had been demonstrated repeatedly that if young.and old animals were subjected simultaneously to ,cancer;inducihg substances, at tho onset of the tumour tho, formations were simultaneous in both cases. * Tho elderly were more subject to , cancer because their longer lives provided greater-time for the noxious -agents to operate. work in various parts oi the world had. destroyed the of Dr/.Gye and Mr. Barnard to have discovered a general cancer parasite, ■Mr.' J. B. Murphy, of the Eockfoiler Institute, contended that no such parasite existed. Ho claimed to have found a /malignant' agent- which produced a malignant growth in fowls. :/■ -'Professor James Ewing (Now York) said the theory of a universal cancer parasite stimulating tho cell to incessant growth was r tho most popular explanation of the cancer process. But it mast now bo ruled out on tho ground of no evidence.

Professor Archibald' Loitcli (London) said tho critical work done in various parts of tho world especially by Doctor J. B, Murphy (New York) 'destroyed, the contention of Dr. Gyo and Mr. Barnard. Dr. Murphy’s theory was that it was not a virus but a ferment. .. *

The “Times” commenting says that the papers arc likely to receive the immediate attention of tho world of science and adds’:

“It is clear nature in addition to ppSaessihg growth-producing substances possesses also growth-preventing substances.” ; , ,