CONTROL OF CANCER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22609, 28 June 1935, Page 4

CONTROL OF CANCER

USE OF RADIUM AND SURGERY VIEWS OF CHRISTCHURCH DOCTORS Substantial agreement with medical opinion in Dunedin on the use of radium in the treatment of cancer was found amdng Christchurch doctors, to whom a statement by Dr C. C. Coghlan, and the subsequent criticisms by Dunedin medical men, were referred by a representative of the Christchurch Press. Dr Coghlan had said that "throughout the United States, except in New York and San Francisco, very little importance was placed on radium treatment, surgery being preferred." " I received a letter this morning from a leading professor in a London hospital asking me whether I held the view that radium had .justified itself," said Dr P. Clennell Fenwick, of the radium department of the Public Hospital. " The writer stated that his own view was that it depended entirely on the men and women who did the work; radium could work no medical magic on its own. USE OF BOTH TREATMENTS. " My own opinion, based on the experience I have had since 1911," said Dr Fenwiek, " is that radium is one of the greatest allies of surgery. It has been proved that external cancer can be treated with excellent results by radium. The treatment of internal cancer has not yet been sufficiently exploited to justif the making of any statement. " The surgeons at this hospital have taken advantage of X-ray treatment, and are sending their patients both before and after operations for a course of treatment. Every year the value of

radio-therapy used in conjunction with surgery is being more and more recognised. As a proof that the staff of this hospital has not lost faith in radium, records show that during the last II years nearly 7000 radium treatments and 13,000 X-ray treatments have been given.. As all the patients are referred, to us by members of-the medical profession, it appears from these figures that the medical profession in Canterbury has not lost faith in radio-therapy." "It is u surprise to hear the .views expressed by Dr Coghlan in face of a. report made by Dr de Monchaux, radio-1 therapist at the Dunedin Hospital, ori/ his recent tour of the leading cancer' clinics in. Canada, the United Great Britain and European _ countries','. .geiieraliv." said a doctor who is a meni-' ber of the executive of the Canterbury*;.: dJvision of the New Zealand branch «f" the British Empire' Cancer Campaign.:, Society. " Briefly, the report makes 1 it? clear that, far from abandoning radiation treatment of cancer —which includes ? radium and special types of X-ray treatment —increasing use is being madefy this form of therapy in the • treatment ■ of cert'in types of cancer. *'- ; - VALUE OF RADIUM. "Personally," the doctor added, "I have no doubt whatever that the use of radium and special X-rays—that is, radiation therapy —is of the utmost value in the treatment of certain forms of cancer, and is preferred in these particular types to surgery. In the treatment of internal cancers surgery is preferred." Sir Hugh Acland, the president of ths local division of the New Zealand branch of the Cancer Campaign Society, concurred with the views expressed by the doctors. He said that he intended to. deal at 50ine length with the whole quea/ tion of the treatment of cancer by radium, X-ray and surgery in the report which will be presented at the annual meeting of the local division next /Iffiry nesday, July 3. •