CANCER RESEARCH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21165, 23 April 1932, Page 14

CANCER RESEARCH.

PROGRESS IN AUSTRALIA. FALL IN MORTALITY RATE. [FROM OUR OWN correspondent. ] SYDNEY, April 14. Dr. IT. G. Chapman, director of cancer research in New South Wales, says that the third recent cancer conference at Canberra the most successful yet held in Australia. "The outstanding feature of the conference," said Dr. Chapman, "was the disclosure that apparent cure had beon effected in about 45 per cent, of the total number of persons treated—over 9000—with Commonwealth radium. Statistics were presented by Dr. Holmes, on behalf of the Federal Department of Health, which showed that the mortality from cancer had diminished by the greatest fall in any single rear since 1861."

Dr. Chapman said that, while tho mortality from cancer had diminished in Australia, the mortality in the United States from cancer was tho greatest vet recorded.

"An interesting tablo was submitted by the chief medical officer of the Federal health service in New South Wales," added Dr. Chapman, "showing the mortality from cancer among individuals of •four generations in a family in this Slate. It was .pointed out tiiat the high mortality from cancer in certain families was not uncommon in Australia. Thus, of a well-known family in Sydney, eight out of thirteen persons spread over three generations had died of cancer, and in another family 28 individuals out of 42 had died from the same cause. "On the other hand, it was mentioned that in a very large family of closo on 40P individuals, spread over four generations, no record of a death from cancer existed, and no person had undergone a surgical operation.

"It would thus appear," said Dr. Chapman, "(hat\thc members of somo families rarely, if ever, suffer from cancer, and it seems extremely unlikely that the children of those individuals whose families arc not subject to cancer will suffer from this disease. On the other hand, it is probable that children will develop cancer iho parents conic JrOm families among whom deaths from cancer have been recorded.

A stiiking fact is that those who handle w*>od blocks and frequently dip their hands into tar do not suffer" from cancer."