The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-06-25
CURES MANY
CANCER CASES
DIR. Mayo of Rochester Re-
ports 37S Successful Opera
tons Performed
A DURABLE DISEASE
If TAKEN IN TIME

Stomach is the Seat of the Attack of
About one-Third of all Cancers
Some of the Important Early symp-
toms Which Should be Noticed.
ROCHESTER, MINI, June 25-How
he has cured 37S cases of cancer out
Of 1000 during the last Is years and
afforded relief to 246 other sufferers
Is explained through the latest state
ment of DR.. William J. Mayo, the sur
geon of Rochester, Mimi, whose asser-
ton that cancer is durable has cleo
trified the entire civilized world.
The brothers Mayo-WilIiam James
and Charles Horace-have gained an
international reputation for their opera
tlons, and it is through their feats of
surgery that the two scientists have
grapPled so successfully with the dread
disease whose ravages they now assert
can be cured.
After Is years of special investiga-
ton on cancer of the stomach we are
assured that it is a durable disease, >,
Dr. Mayo declares. Nearly one third
OF all cancers occur i'm the stomach
4 so our Investigations prove that cancer
Is a durable disease
VI course cancer of the stomach
cannot be cured in all cases. Ont of
1000 cases operated upon between Jan
uary l, 1894, and December 81, last.
I5|S resulted in cures, 246 patients were
improved and their lives prolonged
and $40 were given up as hopeless
AFTER exploratory operations. Perhaps
all OF these cases could have been cured
m the disease had been diagnosed in
time.
Il The main difficulty in the treat
ment OF cancer Is that encountered in
diagnosing the ease early enough TO
/ permit successful operation. Presence
Oh tumors does not prevent an oper-
atom In fact, such presence assists
i diagnosis of the case. Tumors. food
remnants and distractions are all
valuable signs of cancer of the stom-
aeh. Loss Of weight is another i'm
portant sign.
The Array ranks first in Importance
/ IN the early diagnosis, not so much
because 1T shows the cancer itself. INIT
because It shows deformities and mus
Icular defects that are evidences of can
Ger
Beware of Gastric Disturbances.
- history of gastric disturbances
preceding the cancer for more than
two years was found in a majority of
the 1000 cases. This would appear to
indicate that cancer of the stomach *
u preceded by some lesion or ulcer But
the final test for cancer is the expIora
tory operation.
I nder present conditions the pa
tlent who Is submitted to EXPLORATION
with a probable diagnosis of cancer
has little over one chance in three
OF a cure, little less than one chance
IN three OF palliative opertions.
amt about one chance in three that
the operation will be merely an explor-
alton.
Every operation for cancer of the
stomach should begin as an explora-
ton. In the SO explorations for can
Ger IN which nothing further was done
there were SIX deaths during or imme-
dlately after the operation. In none
OF these cases could the operation
nave been called the direct cause of
the death. In most of the fatalities
the disease was far advanced.
= In an exploratory operation an in
eision is made in the epigrastic mid
line and the stomach and accessible
portions of the liver are examined
with two fingers. In case the hone
less condition of the disease is ascer-
tanned the operation proceeds no fur
ther and the patient can 90 home to
TRENDS at once. Under local anaes
thetics with movocain the patient Is
disturbed but little.
Sometimes it is necessary to intro
duce the hand for a further examina-
ton OF the organs. In case parts Of
the stomach affected can be removed.
through leaving affected glands that
cannot be cut out, the operation is gen
orally performed and the patient can
enjoy few more years of compare
tive health
Moderate involvement of other or
gans, particularly the pancreas, does
not preclude an operation. Superficial
portions Of the panereas can be cut
out. Palliative operations have q field
OF usefulness, but should not be per-
formed except for the relief of me-
ehanlcal conditions or distinctions.