X-RAY WORK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22525, 16 September 1936, Page 16

X-RAY WORK

PHYSICIST'S OPINION treatment for cancer USE OF HIGH VOLTAGES TOUR OF STUDY ABROAD [by telegraph—own correspondent] WELLINGTON. Tuesday The statement that he was inclined to the opinion that for conditions in Australia, and Nbw Zealand the use of such high voltages as in ths million* volt X-ray was not justified, but that an increase above the 200,000 volts nominally in use in both countries was needed, was made to-night by Professor T. H. Laby, F.R.S., D.Sc., consulting physicist to the Department of Health of the Commonwealth of Australia and professor of natural philosophy in tho University of Mclbourno, who is at present ii: Wellington on Ins return to Australia after a trip abroad, inquiring into the use of X-rajs and radium in the treatment of cancer. Professor Laby was from 1909 to 1915 professor of physics at Victoria University Collej[e ; Wellington, and he is at present nxternal examiner in physics to the University of New Zesiland. He will leave by the Awatca tomorrow for Sydney, via Auckland. High-voltage Equipment

Professor Laby visited the leading •cancaf clinics of France, England and the United States. His visit to France was the third he has made for that purpose. He found, he said, that the French Government had established a cancer institute some two or three yeais ago in ono of the suburbs of Paris, and it was the most magnificently equipped and housed hospital he had ever seen.

The object of Ms visit was to discover whether it was desirable to introduce into Australia the use of million-volt X-rays, Professor I>aby -continued. Hp found that one Buch equipment was being established at St, Bartholomew's Hospital in London, and there werß four or five in use in the United Stateß of America. He visited two of tbo American clinics which had had experience with the use of these rays. Ha was inclined to think that for conditions, rin Australia and New Zealand th& use of such high voltages was not justified, but an increase above the 200,000 volts that was nominally in use in both countries was needed.

Use ol the Neutron

Ons factor that was relevant to tho question of the «nillion-volt X-ray wai that Professor Lawrence, a distinguished American physicist and tho inventor of an instrument called tho cyclotron, had reported that investigations made by medical men and biologists in his laboratory indicated that; the neutron, (a recently-discovered radiation) was more effective in tho treatment of malignant disease than X-rays. While such a conclusion wait to hi) accepted with reserve, it wan relevnnt -to tho making of plans for the Asse of very high energy X-rays. Professor Labv said he had learned something of the problems in New Zealand in the use of radium and X-rays in conjunction with surgery in the treatment of the disease, and ho found a certain similarity to the problem in Australia. The four principal hospital centres corresponded with tho States of Australia ana they had, too, to exercise the greatest economy in expenditure, There bad been established jq»t before he went abroad, in connection wjih the physics laboratory in Melbourne, an X-ray laboratory where the instruments required in X-ray therapy could fcxi. standardised for the whole of Australia, and where research •work in relation to the same subject >rould b« carried onWork in Hew Zealand

Professor Laby said he had seen the physical work which had been started in the Dominion under the auspices t of the New Zealand branch of the British Empire Cancer Campaign Society by funds, provided by the 1 Travis Trust, Christchurch, and it seemed to him that an excellent beginning had been made. Professor Laby emphasised that he apoko as a layman in medical matters, and while he spoke of the use of X-rays and radium he did not express any opinion as to when those agencies should he used in the treatment of any case. It was evident that in the treatment of malignant disease it wa» a combination of the three agencie# of surgery, radium and X-rays that was now followed, and it was the problem of the medical man to determine whether one of these agencies or a combination of them was the treatment to be used. Jt was the object of the physicist to enable the medical man to carry out the treatment he intended to do. That required a very high degree jbf skill on the part of the medical man and physicist, and certain very specialised hospital and physical equipment.