CURBING CANCER.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20281, 16 April 1934, Page 8

CURBING CANCER.

Conference of Specialists at Canberra. STEADY PROGRESS MADE. (Special to the “Star.”) SYDNEY, April 10. Reports to be submitted to the fifth annual Cancer Conference, which will begin in Canberra on April 17, show that while there has been no outstanding development during the year, treatment methods and research have made steady progress. About 70 prominent cancer specialists will attend the conference, including six from New Zealand, where a branch of the British Empire Cancer Campaign is now in active operation. The draft agenda covers every possible aspect of the problem, but most of the discussion will centre round papers dealing with intricate and highly technical subjects, such as improvement in X-ray therapy machines and the screenage and the use of radium. In this connection, it is emphasised that cancer workers in Australia are keeping closely abreast of all modern developments abroad. It was claimed to-day that on the physical side of Xray treatment, Australia was in the forefront of modern development. The conference will also have before it for the first time, a series of detailed tables showing the results achieved by the various types of treatment on cancer in various parts of the body. This is the first year that such data has been available. It is hoped in a few years to have complete details of treatmeat results on cancer in every conceivable situation so that medical men may be able on diagnosing a case of cancer to see at a glance which treatment has given the best results for similar cases. This will be a valuable guide in determining early treatment, which is recognised as being highly important. Although statistics show a slight increase in the mortality rate from cancer, it is claimed that the year’s work has marked a distinct advance in the fight against the scourge which now ranks second to heart disease as a cause of death in Australia.

New Zealand representatives at the conference will include Dr P. Clennell Fenwick, radiologist at the Christchurch Hospital, Dr J. S. Elliott, of Wellington, Professor E. F. D’Ath and Dr de Monchaux, of Dunedin, and Dr Harvey, of Napier.