Tackling the Cancer Scourge

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 54, 6 March 1935, Page 7

Tackling the Cancer Scourge

Recommendations for Treatment of Disease

NEED FOR FUNDS STRESSED

Per Press Association. HASTINGS, Last Night

Cancer is by far the greatest medical problem of the present day, according to Dr. J. S. Elliott, president of the New Zealand branch of the British Empire Cancer Campaign, wfio addressed delegates to the Hospital Boards' conference at Napier to-night. He said the steady rise in the cancer death-rate in New Zealand since 1575 now placed the total at 1500 yearly. Tho speaker said tho following recommendations in connection with the treatment of the disease had been made:—

1. Centralisation of treatment. 2. Control by experts only. .3. Reconditioning of radium. 4. Proper applicators for cancer of the womb.

5. Recognition of the fact that X-ray plants of the mechanically-recti-fied type now at the four centres cannot supply the suitable high voltage for deep penetration. 0. Instal at each centre an up-to-date valve-rectified plant to give 300 kilovolts for deep-therapy treatment of cancer, at a cost of £2OOO to £2500 for each centre hospital. 7. Restrict the use of tho plants at present installed to the treatment of non-cancerous diseases, superficial growths and perhaps mental comfort for advanced and hopeless cancer cases. There is plenty of work for two machines.

S. A cancer clinic as at present and wards for 10 male and 10 female patients, and special nursing for thorough radiation treatment. There is more need for cancer wards or a cancer hospital than for tuberculosis wards or a consumptive hospital, because cancer is by far the greater scourge. 9. Separation of X-rav diagnosis from the X-ray treatment department. 10. Hoads of staff.—A whole-time, or part-time at first, radiological surgeon, and a wholc-timo radiotherapist, assistants and lionoraries specialising in tho treatment of regional cancer; a house surgeon and a record clerk. 11. Large salaries, because of the highly-specialised professional skill and dangerous occupation; one month’s leave a year on full pay and six months’ travel abroad on full pay every five years.

12. Restriction of treatment by radium -or Tay-thcrapy to only those who are expert.

13. No treatment at all is better than pretence at treatment. “If these suggestions are put into practice without delay,’’ said Dr. Elliott, “relatively carfy cases of cancer will show as high a percentage of cures in New Zealand as in Stockholm, Paris, London or clinics in, America. Indeed, we have the opportunity of making our Dominion one of the leading countries of the world in the cancer campaign. We can produce zeal and talent, but can we get the money, when so much apparently is needed for comparatively inferior objects?"