CRUSADE ON CANCER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 725, 26 July 1929, Page 11

CRUSADE ON CANCER

DR. MACCORMICK REVEALS SERIOUS GROWTH AUCKLAND BACKWARD • What have we done in New Zealand to combat the cancer scourge *° far ? Merely thought of it. Auckland has not moved even as far as Dunedin and Wellington, where branches of the British Cancer Research Association have been formed. . . . There is a crying necessity for organisation. Know!edge of the early signs of cancer must be inculcated in our social workers clergy and school teachers. We must rouse ourselves to public and private effort.” T ms indlct ment of Auckland’s lethargy was voiced by Dr. Kenneth MacCormick on the increasing menace °l J\ anc ! r ’ lecturing under the auspices or the Auckland division of the British Medical Association in the Leys Institute lust evening. Practical authorities agreed, the doctor said, that little more could be done toward prevention or cure of cancer, which was the greatest world-wide medical problem of the age, without education and co-operation of the public. There was a dispute as to whether' the alarming increase in the cancer death rate was apparent or real, but he emphasised that in the last 35 years the mortality had doubled. In 1 884, in England, 2,374 people died from tuberculosis and 563 from cancer for each 4,000,000 of population. In 1925 tuberculosis accounted for 1,038 deaths, while cancer sent 1,336 to their graves. Figures for nearly all other civilised countries showed similar alarming changes. > GROWTH IN DOMINION In New Zealand the Government Statistician stated that although there was a slight decrease in the cancer death rate in 1927, the upward trend operating throughout the history of the disease was advanced another step in 1928. In 1928, 1,374 people died from the disease, an increase of 50 compared with 1927. Cancer was principally confined to persons over 40 and last year, of all persons exceeding this age who died, one in seven males and one in six females had contracted this disease. The cancer index was the opposite of the general health of a community. Tuberculosis, typhoid fever, smallpox anti diphtheria mortality had declined. United States statistics showed that the chances of a person over the age of 10 of ultimately dying from cancer had increased between 1910 and 1924, 47 percent. for males and 15 per cent, for females. Probably, the doctor said, New Zealand’s figures were much the same, and surely they indicated that increased effort to control the disease was imperative. Cancer nearly always had its origin in unhealthy or damaged tissue, stated tho lecturer in discussing the causes of the disekser' Warts, moles, chronic sores, extensive scars of burns or gross skin diseases like lupus were often primary sites of cancer. Long continued irritation, thermal or chemical, might be a contributing factor. Wellknown examples were paraffin workers, analine dye workers, chimney sweeps’ cancer and the “Kangri” cancer. All these took a long time to act, 10 to 20 years, so that cancer was only the last link of a chain of degenerative processes. ' Predisposition to cancer by weakened tissue or organ wquld not giye rise to tho disease unless some exciting cause came into operation. The disease was not infectious, though tumour cells could occasionally be implanted. No cancer germ had been discovered, the doctor declared, although there Tnld been reported discoveries, these had not proved well founded. DANGEROUS SYMPTOMS Indications of symptoms of cancer were briefly touched on by the doctor. 110 said that any lump, no matter how painless, persisting more than a week or two required its nature definitely settled. Long continued discharge from the nose, particularly if bloodstained or accompanied by persistent neuralgia, might be significant, and if not of a cancerous, it was at least an undesirable unhealthy condition. In the mouth, persistent ulcers, cracks or raised lumps or ridges were potential, if not actual, dangers. Cancer of the stomach was the most common of all—one-third of the total. It began as a rule very insidiously and in a person over 35 indigestion, not yielding to properly supervised treatment in two weeks, required consultation and investigation. The same applied to the rest of -the food passages. Any change from the usual in the bowel action, increasing constipation or attacks of diarrhoea might be of significance. The coughing or vomiting of blood, or the passage of blood in the bowel contents or urine, were all symptoms that demanded urgent and complete investigation. Cancer of the mouth, tongue and gullet were often due to lack of care of the teeth. Badly fitting dentures also gave rise to chronic irritation. Cancer of the gullet and stomach was often due to faulty chewing, forcible gulping of foods, doses of strong condiments and overdoses of alcohol. In general. Dr. MacCormick advised avoidance of anything tending to depress the general health, excess of any kind, alcoholic, tobacco or food, overwork. unhealthy living conditions, lack of exercise, which all tended to lead to unhealthy bodily conditions. EARLY TREATMENT VITAL Many cases of cancer treated in the early stages had been cured by surgical and radium treatment, but although radium had proved of assistance, it had to be used with care as it was not the great panacea for the disease. In each case it was vital that the growth should be treated in the early stages, said the doctor, but here medical men were tip against a psychological problem. It was characteristic of the English race to prefer to ignore unpleasant facts which concerned the future only. “We would rather take a sporting chance at meeting the greatest hazard in the adventure of living,” he said. “This attitude was perhaps all right when the odds remained stationary. Now that they are increasing at such an alarming rate we can no longer afford to remain supine.”