The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-12-29
RAD|UM "CURES"
OF LITTLE VALUE
Society For Control of Can
Ger Issues Warning to
Sufferers.
MUCH RADIUM POOR
Best Results Obtained Only
By Use of Large
Amount.
MUCH RADIUM POOR

NEW YORK, Dec. 29.-"Don't put
too much faith in radium cures for can.
GER" is the warning issued by the
American Society for the Control OF
Cancer today.
The Society issues the warning, it
is explained, for the purpose of Offset
ting new hopes that may be raised
in sufferers from the disease, only to
lead to disappointment, such as has
been the case with many of the re-
cent tuberculosis cures. The society
fears that the wide publicity given to
the radium cure for cancer will also
act in this manner.
The warning reads:
The curative effects of radum are
practically limited today to superficial
cancer of the skin, to superficial
growths of mucous membrane which
are not true cancers, and to some deep
er lying tumors of bone, etc, which
are not very malignant. The problem
of the constitutional treatment Of ad-
Vanced, inoperable cancer is still I'M
touched by any method yet devised or
likely to be devised for the admins
tering of radium. Even among the So
called radium cures, it still remains to
De determined in many cases whether
the favorable result is permanent or is
to be followed sooner or later by the
usual recurrence. The most competent
surgeons do not dare TO pronounce a
case cured until five years have elaps-
ed after an apparently successful oper-
alton. The same test must be applied
before we can finally determine the
real value of radium.
Get No Real Benefit.
1t should be emphasized especially
that radium cannot at present exert
any permanent benefit on generalized
cancer. and since cancer, in a very
large proportion of cases, is widely
disseminated in the body early in the
course of the disease, theis entire
group of cases can expect no import
ant relief from radium. Another large
group of cancers is comparatively in
accessible OF the application of radium
so that the ultimate course of the dis
ease is not effected, although certain
portions of the tumor may be reduced
In size. Again, many forms of cancer,
although localized and accessible to
radium, grow very rapidly and resist
the curative action, OF this agent, so
that no real benefit can be expected
from its use.
The best results of radium thereapy
can be secured only when compare
lively large amounts are available for
use and the present limited worlds
supply of this metal places it out Of
reach of the great majority of patients.
1t is to be feared that much harm may
result from undue reliance upon small
quantities of low grade radium when
other methods of treatment would be
more effective.
Under the term cancer" are com
monty grouped several diseases which
differ widely in nature, causation, and
courses, and in their response to da-
dunn. 1t requires both skill and expe-
rience to determine just what type of
cancer ore has to deal with as we'll as
the advisability Of using radium
Hence, it is extremely difficult to for
mulate an accurate statement of the
true position of radium thereapy, but
1t is quite clear that the exploitation
of this remedy as cure of cancer is
in general is to be deprecated.