MEDICAL CONGRESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20023, 14 February 1927, Page 3

MEDICAL CONGRESS

DISCUSSION ON CANOED. PROBLEM STJLL UNSOLVED. PAPER BY PROFESSOR MaoCALLUM. The public will probably bo somewhat disappointed at the outcome of the discussion in the Australasian Medical Congress on the problems associated with cancer. Xo new views have been put forward in regard either to the cause of the malignant, disease or the prospects of the discovery of a euro. , , „ Professor P. MacCallum of the Melbourne University uttered a warning against the extravagant claims which were made from lime to time, and deplored the spurious prominence which was given to some of these claims. It was supposed that cancer was increasing steadily in all countries. An investigation of the statistics, however, revealed that in many instances the data wore insufficient, vitiated, or wrongly applied. Part of (ho increase .was undoubtedly due to better diagnosis. Homo of it might be traced by the fact of the survival of more people to ilie age at which cancer was common. Professor MacCallum was sceptical concerning the alleged spread of cancer. It had be-m shown that certain individual cancer type.: had actually undergone a decrease. Some highly ini ere-Cut work on heredity in relation to cancer had been carried out by MBs Slyc, and -lie bad found that as far as mice arc conymed cancer was pendent on true inherited characters. The liability to spontaneous development 01 rancor was recessive, while the liability to (ho successful taking of cancer grafts was dominant. Both behaved in accordance with mcndclian expectations. Much publicity bad been given to the work of (lye, but Professor MacCallum considered that it was too early to pass final judgment. According to Gyo, a certain form of malignant disease "as due to an ultra microscopic virus and a chemical specific factor. The accuracy of the observation had boon challenged. Some progress had been made by the adaptation of the study of tissue growth to this particular problem. Warburg had used tissue culture as a means of study, and had discovered certain important characters of cancer ceil as compared with the normal body cell. Reference was also made to the relationship between normal blood and tissue coll and the abnormal colls comprising the cancerous growth. There was apparently some action of the vitamin in promoting the overgrowth of epitbcloum. Professor Maoeallum attached such importance to this and similar work in clearing up doubtful points in connection with the chemical and biological peculiarities of tumour colls. In Liverpool, Blair Beil, having been struck by tbo resemblance between the overgrowth of epithcleum in connection with the developing embryo and malignant, tissue in respect to structure, tissue change, and physicochemical characters, had assumed that their affinities for poisons might be similar. Ho had therefore treated a number of patients suffering from cancer with a colloidal form of load, and claimed to have obtained success. A great deal of research was being carried out as a result of his ideas. He also referred to the work of the radiologists who had undertaken an analysis of the forms of radiation and of the wave lengths of the particular rays which were found to destroy tissue ceils. Several investigators had attempted to discover some biological reaction ’which would render the diagnosis of cancer in its earliest stages easier and more certain. In some cases a scrum reaction had been used, while in other cases physical phenomena had been exploited. Hitherto none of (hose tests had proved to be of real value. Professor MacCallum stated that it was scarcely possible to draw any useful conclusion from the heterogenous mass 0! available facts. They know a great deal about cancer, but they hoped to know much more, in the near future. A paper by Dr X. E. H. Fulton, of Dunedin. was read by Professor Herons. In this paper the results of tho investigation into the incidence of cancer were recounted and an attempt was made to define tho effects of treatment by radium. Dr We Ropa. of Gisborne, stated 'at in his experience cancer was common among tho Maoris, although the reverse was hold to be the case. He suggested that formerly when tho Maoris were . a very w’arliko people few of the males reached tho cancer age. Dr D. K. Barnett of Dunedin, called attention to the frequency with which cancer attacked the digestive canal. Cancer of the stomach was responsible for more roatlis than cancer of any other organ of the body. In recent years there had been an improvement in tho mortality from cancer of the mouth.-of the breast, and of the uterus. Ho suggested that there might he some relation between cancer of tho stomach and the diet of tho people and the temperature of food. Dr A. Morton M'Arthur pleaded for earlier diagnosis of concer of the uterus. Tho public should be warned that all forms of discharge should bo investigated without loss of time. He claimed that cancer of the uterus was curable in the early stages by surgical means and by radiation. Dr F. D. Cameron, of Wellington, was very anxious that every woman suffering from cancer should be examined by a surgeon, a physician, a gynaecologist and a radiologist. Ho was satisfied that a great deal of success had boon attained by moans of deep X-ray therapy.