THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1926. CANCER STATISTICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19455, 11 October 1926, Page 10

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1926. CANCER STATISTICS.

That New Zealand may take a part in the world-wide crusade against cancer, and clo this bast by supplying statistical information to assist research in England, was an opinion advanced by the Herald more than two years ago. It has impressive confirmation in tho statement made by Dr. Makgill, of the Health Department, on his return to the Dominion after a visit to Great Britain. Dr. Makgill took the opportunity while in England of discussing with the health authorities there the question as to what part this Dominion might most usefully take in medical research. • The English authorities drew attention to the lack of accurate statistics as to the prevalence of cancer among native populations, and suggested that the furnishing of reliable data concerning its prevalence among the Maoris and the natives of Pacific islands under the Dominion's jurisdiction would be a valuable contribution. Ev-en the supply, of material from England for independent experiments here was held by the English authorities to be less likely to produce useful results than this collection of statistical material to assist research there. This is an opinion so well credentialled and so reasonable that it should be given practical heed. There seems to be no good reason why this sort of assistance to English investigation should be confined to native populations. There is obvious need for this, for in any inquiry bearing on what is generally supposed to be a disease more or less peculiar to civilised peoples it is vital to success to obtain a more extensive array of facts than the generalisation has yet had for its support or detailed survey.. But the whole field of inquiry, among European and non-European inhabitants of this country, offers .a promising opportunity. Cancer has here a degree of prevalence investing New Zealand statistics with importance. I In most countries it ranks fourth or fifth in the list of frequent causes of death. Here, with the exception of organic disease of the heart, it heads the list. Moreover, it has in New Zealand, quite as definitely as elsewhere, a deathrate showing a marked increase. In the three years preceding 1923 there was a slight decline, but in that one year there was again an increase, one so large that it more than set off the previous decline; and the rate has shown considerable increase since then. Beside this disquieting prevalence there are facts that may be found to have an enlightehing relation to the problem. Death from cancer occurs here, as a rule, later in life than formerly. The Government Statistician remarks this as a fact revealed by long and exhaustive statistical inquiry, and adds : "It would seem that this is the case even if allowance be made for the fact that the age-constitution of the Dominion is increasing, i.e., that the average citizen of New Zealand is now older than the average citizen of ten, twenty, or fifty years ago." A further fact emerges from a survey of statistical material here: in the recorded fatal cases of cancer in New Zealand three out of five, approximately, are instances of malignant growths in the alimentary tract —a proportion higher than that occurring in most countries. Such facts as these suggest that thorough statistical research here would contribute results far from negligible in the universal campaign against one of the most terrible scourges afflicting humanity. If further argument be necessary to justify more adequate statistical research in this country and the island groups under its jurisdiction, it will be found in the admittedly difficult nature of this sort of inquiry when applied to cancer. The number of researches applying the numerical method to cancer in the last two generations has been very large, but expert opinion has held them to be inadequate, both in thoroughness and technical method. This form of inquiry is full of pitfalls for the inexpert, no matter what the subject under investigation. It may easily go far astray when the subject is so elusive as the cause of cancer has proved to be. So far only the outworks have been carried. Certain broad facts about the cancer cell and the provocative influence of irritation are well established ; but the campaign of inquiry, to say nothing of methods of relief and rescue, has still a long way to go. There have been some very serviceable collections of numerical data. The Middlesex Hospital investigations cover the record of about 8000 cases of certified cancer, about 250,000 cases of non-malignant growths, and about 13,000 postmortem examinations. They have yielded significant results not always in consonance with popular notions. The Cancer Committee of the League of Nations published last year a very painstaking report on the cancer statistics of England and Wales and Holland—the data examined being as accurate as could be expected in the present state of knowledge. But it is believed that, notwithstanding all conclusions yet based on this form of inquiry, it needs to be, extended greatly and at the same time to he marshalled on well-defined points. Mere roving commissions are not expected to produce statistical results of much value. The circumstances of this Dominion offer a fruitful field for specific, inquiry, and under the advice of the English authorities it should be possible to collect data likely to be of service to them and ultimately to the crusade against cancer which the whole -world is compelled to wa<ro