CANCER CONTROL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16914, 1 April 1929, Page 11

CANCER CONTROL

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT PROPOSAL BY DR. EWEN The medical superintendent of the Wellington Hospital. Dr. H. H Kwen, is submitting to the Hospital board an important proposal in connection with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer or suspected cancer cases. The proposal is based on suggestions made by lb. K. F. lVAth, pathologist and bacteriologist, Dunedin Medica. Schook and Dr. V. V. Lynch, patholftgist and bacteriologist. Wellington Hos pttal, and is on lines now in operation in leading general and cancer hospitals and institutes in Great Britain. France, America, Italy, Germany ami other countries. It means that a person with any suspicions symptoms of the disease may have the benefit of the opinion of a special medical committee at the hospital, both as to diagnosis and course of treatment.

The proposal which is offered is briefly as follows : AtUehod to the base hospitals in the centres in New Zealand there should be a Cancer Treatment. Committee. The committee should consist of ID a pathologist; (£) a radiologist t (Si a radio .therapeutist; a surgeon; (5) a physician. The llrst throe members of the committee will, in the case of Wellington, be stipendiary officers attache*! to the hospital. The surgeon and physician sbontd lie senior honorary officers who will act on the committee for a term in rotation. '1 he committee slwwld meet one* a week and new eases et eaneer or suspected enneer should be wfotred, a diagnosis made, if passible, and recorded and ti-c-ument appropriate to the case outlined. Closer hetween the tamo, therapeutist, patnologist, and sargem which the icimation of this eemmxtteo wenW enta-.'i, wonld do much to achieve oniformitv ia the treatment of eases. It is m>i suggested that the .surgwM treatment ro»\>mme«ded should be carried out by the surgeon, who is for the time being a member of the committee? the scheme does wot make it necessary to the existing allocation of oases. By the establishment of the comumtee," it- is hoped (l) to have mow cv operation and accuracy in the diagnosis ei eaneor? {% to have ea-eiieratien and nwiformitv of tio;itment; ill to haw a complete sot of records of all eases o« cancer so that information as to the value of surgical and special forms ot treatment can ultimately be obtained. The above suggestions have been considered and ai>proved by the hospital medical staff, and the opinion is held that one result will be, as in other countries, that persons with suspicions symptoms will seek earlier diagnosis.