TREATING CANCER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23275, 18 February 1939, Page 15

TREATING CANCER

ADVANCES ABROAD

SYDNEY SCIENTIST

USE OF INJECTIONS

AMERICAN DISCOVERIES

Probably the most complete survey of the progress of cancer research made by a Dominion scientist within recent years has been completed by Professor H. L. Brose, of Sydney, who was a through passenger by the Monterey yesterday. As a result of studying advances in therapy made in tho United. States, Great Britain, Germany and Paris, Professor Brose said yesterday that he is more in favour than ever of the injection treatment. "Although radiation ■«> appears to achieve a certain measure of success in the case of external cancers,'' said Professor Brose, "there seems little hope that improved statistics' will be obtained in internal cancers. My opinion is that the injection therapy is well on the way and that it will receive much more attention in the future than has been the case in the past." Advance of Bio-chemistry Professor Brose, who has had a distinguished career as a cancer research scientist and is now senior research worker under the auspices 6f the Cancer Research Committee at the Rockefeller Medical School of the University of Sydney, inquired closely during his travels into the physical and chemical methods of diagnosing and treating cancer. - ■ After visiting Dr. R. Millikan, of Pasadena, one of the greatest living scientists, who expressed the opinion that bio-chemistry and bio-physics "were the coming subjects, Professor Brose went to Berkeley, California, as the guest of the physics department of the university. There he met Dr. Ernest Lawrence, inventor of the cyclotron, for which Professor Brose says he will probably be awarded the Nobel Prize this year. The cyclotron is a device for producing electric particles at a speed of several million volts, and capable of inducing artificial radio activity in common substances. New Machine Investigated Professor Brose said medical circles were interested in this investion because such artificial radio-active sub-, stances could be produced in this way far more cheaply than radium could be bought. The price for the construction of a cyclotron was £20,000. Professor Brose said he considered it to be an instrument of great value for scientific research, but not dne which would play any great part in the treatment of cancer. It was fair to add, however, that a number of American institutions were having cyclotrons constructed. --

In Detroit trofessor Brose spent some days with Dr. William Koch, whose therapy for cancer has provoked a great deal of discussion. Dr. Koch, said Professor Brose, very much regretted the publicity which had been given to his treatment, as he was particularly anxious that it should be tried and accepted by the mc-dical profession first. Discoveries of this nature, Professor Brose added, had to be handled with great discretion if erroneous impressions were to bo avoided. Dr. W. Koch's Treatment "Dr. Koch is very pleased with tiie progress o£ his treatment," Professor Brose continued, "inasmuch as certain hospitals in London and also some Harley Street specialists are using his method with complete success. The theoretical basis of Dr. Koch's work has also been confirmed bv experiments on animals and humans cfmaucted by cancer research workers in Belgium. They are convinced that Dr. Koch is on the right track in dealing with the respiration of the cells in the human system. Other high quarters are interested in his work. I saw a number of patients in Dr. Koch's clinic and was most impressed with the results. In London I visited Dr. Koch's representatives, who have an excellent medical following." Professor Brose also visited Mr. Norman Baker at Eureka Springs, Arkansas. There he found a magnificent hospital run on individual lines, the patients being more like guests at a hotel than patients. They were kept out of bed as much as possible and a special diet was adhered to, with special methods of colonic irrigation being used. Another Recent Therapy "In Mr. Baker's view," said Professor Brose, "these are of very great importance in the treatment of cancer. There were over 200 patients in the hospital and I spent some days observing the treatment and the resulta. There is no doubt whatever that highly remarkable cures are achieved in this hospital. Mr. Baker has met & great deal of opposition, but the fact that patients continue to come to him in great numbers is a sufficient indication that he is the possessor of a valuable therapy for cancer. That therapy is now being tested in Europe, and if the results of these tests turn out favourably much will be heard of Ms treatment.

"In London," he continued, "I learned a great deal cf the recent developments in the radiological treatment of cancer, but I caiuaot help feeling that this treatment will be later completely superseded by the biochemical methods. TIII3 conviction became strengthened when" I visited Hamburg and Berlin, where the attitude to radium is far less friendly than it was some years ago."