FIGHT AGAINST CANCER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21333, 7 November 1932, Page 11

FIGHT AGAINST CANCER

RELIEF AND RECOVERY FREQUENT RECURRENCES DETAILS OF STATISTICS Of a total of 637 persons treated for cancer and discharged as " recovered" from the various public hospitals of the Dominion during the three years 1925-27, 287, or 45 per cent, had a recurrence of the malady necessitating readmission to hospital for further treatment or resulting in death by the end of 1931, states an article in the current issue of the Monthly Abstract of Statistics. In addition, 36 persons were known to have died from some other cause during the period covered by the review. The following table shows the condition on discharge or particulars of the death of these 323 patients who subsequently reappeared in the records of the Census and Statistics Office, the three columns indicating the first, second and third reappearance of the disease: — MALES First Second Third Recovered .. s . 27 2 Relieved 35 15 7 Unrelieved . . .. 13 11 3 Died in Hospital . . 2G 8 3 Died elsewhere . . . 26 9 10 Died from other causes 20 4 1 Totals . . . . 153 49 24 FEMALES First Second Third Recovered . ■ . . 21 2 Relieved . .. .. 43 15 9 Unrelieved . ..18 '8 6 Died in hospital .. 27 11 3 Died elsewhere . . 51 23 2 Died from other causes 10 1 1 Totals 170 60 21 Further Reappearances There was also ten instances where cancer reappeared for a fourth time among male patients, one fifth reappearance and one sixth reappearance. None was discharged as " recovered," and only three as "relieved." Of the female patients, 13 were treated for cancer for a fourth time, ten for a fifth, and four for a sixth time. The figures quoted carry the investigation to the sixth reappearance only, but this is sufficient to complete the history of all but three patients, two of whom later' died of cancer outside hospital, while the third died of some other cause after a total of 14 reappearances. In the majority of these occasions the condition on discharge was "relieved." The article states that in 48 cases, or 15 per cent of the total of first- reappearances, the patient was again discharged as " recovered," and in 78, or 24 per cent, as "relieved." Upon subsequent reappearances the proportion of recoveries dwindled into insignificance, although, as might be naturally expected, the proportion of relieved cases remained fairly constant.

It would appear from the records that only 25, or 8 per cent, of the 323 cases dealt with have not again made an appearance up to the end of 1931, while ohe other case has not reappeared after being discharged from hospital as recovered after a third treatment. In addition, 20 of the 323 cases making a first reappearance were discharged as "relieved" and two as "unrelieved" and have not subsequently been heard of during the period covered. Reluctance of Doctors " Many medical practitioners are somewhat reluctant to pronounce a sufferer from cancer as definitely recovered upon discharge from hospital after treatment," continues the article. " The term 'relieved' is therefore frequently preferred to describe the patient's condition. Undoubtedly a proportion of such cases are genuine recoveries, and an investigation over the period dealt with in this review shows that during the three years 1925-27 there were no fewer than 215 instances where the patient was discharged as relieved and had not reappeared in the records by the end of 1931. Of this number, 82 were originally discharged as relieved in 1925 78 in 1926 and 55 in 1927."

It is also of interest to note, concludes the article, that during the three years 1925-27, 24 additional cases were originally discharged as relieved, and on making subsequent appearances before the end of last year were finally discharged as recovered, and have not since been reported.