Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-06-16
RAD|UM CURES
ARE DISCUSSED
Public Interest Has Been Awaken
ed and Medical Men Study
Results.

The radium treatment Of cancer has
aroused public discussion only equal
led in sensationalism by the popular
furOre over the Friedman treatment
for tuberculosis. That this substance
has some value in the treatment of
cancer cannot be denied, but unfort-
unately the public has gotten an exag-
gerated impression of its etfec-s and
radium has been hailed as the long
waited specific cure for malignant
disease. In the belief that a state
ment of results would be useful, the
American Society for the Control Of
Cancer recently asked DR.. H. H. Jane
way of New York to prepare an article
on this subject which has just been
published in The Journal of the Amer
lean Medical Association.
Discuss Results.
DR.. Janeway discusses the results
secured with radium at the four prin-
ciple institutions in Europe where it
has been employed under the most
favorable conditions, viz, Paris, Lond-
on, Vienna and H%eidelburg. The re-
ports from each of these European in
stitutes justify the statement that
radium eXerts a %selective and de-
%structive action on the majority CT
cancers, but that this action never
reaches to the mere distant, extensions
of the deeper and more serious forms
of the disease. In fact there is good
ground for belief that unless the great
est care is used in the application of
radium the more distant portions of
the canoe will be stimulated to more
active growth. All users of radium
emphatically express the belief that
no operable cancers except those of
the skin should b. treated by radium
in preference to operation. The true
position of radium at pre-
sent is that it does not cure
the disease unless the cancer is super
ficial or is of a variety particularly
susceptible to its Influence. .
1000 Cancer Patients.
For the last nine years DR.. Wick
ham of Paris, has treated 1000 cancer
patients at the Laboratoire biologique
du radium and has found that while
the influence of radium on all types Of
cancer is favorable, it's effects do not
extend to the limits of the disease in
any but the most superficial varieties.
The radium Institute Of London treat
ed 467 cases during 1912. No patient
has been. classified as cured. since
cancer is not regarded as cured, until
at least three years have elaps ed
without recurrence of the disease. OF
101 patients with slow-growing, be.
nign form Of cancer of the skin, 81
were apparently cured aid twelve did
not improve. In cancer of the rest of
the body, Is cases were apparently
cured, 1856 improved, and As which did
not improve. At the Vienna Fadium
Institute, of "a patients treated for all
forms Of cancer. 6 died during the
treatment, II were essentially imprOv
ed and 3 were made worse. At "he
Samaritan Hospital in Heidelberg I'M.
prOvement was produced in about hall
Of the cases, but no patient was cured
The establishment of the fact that We
have in radio-activity an agent which
will even specifically affect cancer is
of very great Importance. No other
agent has been discovered which in
any uegree approaches it's effective
ness But from the evidence at hand
it is clear that at present radium may
only supplement- but not replace, surgi
cal treatment.
Quincy Adams SAWYER" the sweet