Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-04
INCREASE IN CANCER.
Spread Of the scourge Causes Alarm
Among Physicians.

From the New YORK Tf1buhe
DR.. Roswell Park of Buffalo, while deliv-
ering an address in Berlin this week, made
an ailuslon to the prevalence of cancer
which has either been misunderstood or in
accurately reported He is represented as
having said that cancer Is almost as COM
mon in the United States as tuberculosis.
This Is a matter to which DIR. Park has
given much attention for years, and he has
made a special study of the conditions in
New York state, which is supposed to lie
in what Is called the cancer belt" Hence
it does not seem credible that he intended
70 convey the impression which one would
derive from the language imputed to him.
It appears from the statistics of the
state board of health for 1903, for instance,
that the total rumber of deaths last year
from cancer in New York was I,456, while
the mortality was considerably greater
from each of seven other diseases, not
counting accidents, violence and uneiassi-
fed maiadies. Acute respiratory d.sor-
ders" among which pneumonia doubtless
holds the chief place. are credited with
il. 800 deaths, and tuberculosis with Ii l94
From the same source of information, how
ever one learns that there has been COM
paratiyely little huctuation OF late in the
havoc from most of these causes. but that
cancer is on the increase. The deaths In
1903 due to cancer exceeded those OF 190y
by nearly 500, and exceeded the average
for the previous five years by 6S4. These
figures show, therefore. that the rise in
mortality from cancer, to which DIR. Park
called attention in the pages OF the medi-
cal papers five years ago. still continues
He then predicted that II 1t was maintained
long enough cancer would rival tubercuio-
sis. That time has not yet arrived, but the
steady increase for more than decade
certainly 3ustifies great uneasiness. After
all, It Is the ratio that tells the story.
Corroborative testimony was offered by
DIR. Frank G. Clemow, in his Geography
of Disease" which appeared last year He
was disposed to think that to a limited ex-
tent possibly. the gain was apparent rather
than real. In some measure 1t might per-
haps be attributed to differences In dag
nosis and registration between earlier and
later periods. but 1t did not seem probable
to him that any such explanation would
fully account for the increase. The phe-
nomenon had been observed in several
table in the United Kingdom. STILL the
most conspicuous rise, he declared, was on
this side Of the Atlantic. AS to the main
fact, therefore, there can be little question
1t has been recognized too long and too
widely to admit of mistake.
Medical men have at least two reasons
for regarding this situation with peculiar
tiismay No altogether satisfactory method
of treatment for cancer has yet been found
In a few cases Rontgen rays have Afforded
RELIEF. Perhaps radfum will some day prove
source but 1t Is not always practicable.
fsor does It invariably preclude return OF
the trobule The Wistest and most skfilfu
members Of the profession are almost pow
erless to fight cancer. Again, the exact
cause Of this disaase--or to speak more 90