TREATMENT OF CANCER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20300, 6 July 1929, Page 16

TREATMENT OF CANCER.

CAMPAIGN IN AUSTRALIA. MORE RADIUM AVAILABLE. In tho light of tho experience gained at tho lioyul I'rince Alfred Hospital in Sydney during the past year, when it has been proved that radium is A necessary substance for tho treatment of certain forms of cancer, first-class radium departments and clinics aro to bo established at Sydney and St Vincent's Hospitals. Dr. Arthur Burrows, Commonwealth radium adviser, was lecently in byuney to consult with the medical staffs and give courses of instruction to supplement those already arranged by the University of Sydney, which was a party to the investigations carried on at the Royal Prihce Alfred Hospital with £IO,OOO worth of radium lent by the Commonwealth Government

The Federal Minister of Health, Sir Neville Howse. says he des'res that radium should also he made available to country hosnitals. where the necessary' medical experience in its use is availablo, and has granted nermiss'on to the university toward that end. To enable these extensions of treatment to he made, the Common wealth Government, will lend to the university a flintier 11 milligrammes of rv'inm, which w'll not, however, he available for several months, ft is evph'ined that the original amount made availablo was 873 milligrammes.

Even with Jhe additional ounntity the Cancer Research Committee will not he in .a position to provide facilities for radium < ••eofvncnt for the who'»' of New South Wales. On its advice the Senate of the TTni'*ers'tv has purchased from the rnncer fund subscribed by the public a further 500 milligrammes of radium, which will como into use at the end of the year. After the whole of the radium has been hroucht into use for the treatment of nntJorifs. the Cancer Research Committee will bo in a position to consider whether ndcmiato provision of radium has been rna''o for the frn.itment of cancerous patients : n the State.