The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-04-29
CANCER IN VERMONT


According to statistics recently pub
lished by the Census Bureau, Vermont
has the highest cancer death rate OF
any State in the United States regis.
tration area. In 1913, 402 people died
from cancer in Vermont; which gives
the rate of 1l1.7 per 100000 of the
population. This is an average of a
little over one victim a day. The
Vermont State Medical Society con-
siders these facts of such significance
that it will cooperate with the Ameri-
can Society for the Control of Cancer
in an educational campaign to let the
people of the State know the exact
conditions that prevail and how this
disease may be prevented and cured.
Meetings and lectures will soon be
given in Rutland, Burlington, Mont
pelier and st. Johnsbury.
The fact that Vermont has the
highest cancer death rate does not
necessarily mean that people are es-
pecially liable to cancer just because
thy happen to live there. According
to the Census Bureau Vermont's high
death rate is accounted for by the rel
atively high age distribution of the
population and the negligible amount
of immigration. Translated into every
day terms this means that in Vermont
the proportion Of people over forty
years Of age, or at the cancer age, to
those who are under forty, and so less
liable to cancer, is greater than in
other places. This condition is doubt
less because so many of the younger
people leave the farms and rural dis
tricts and seek the larger cities of the |
country.
Cancer is disease of middle and
later life. OF the total of 402 deaths
from cancer in the State only Sc were
under fifty years of age, while 302
deaths occurred between the ages of |
fifty and eighty years. The rates for
the neighboring states are corresond-
ingly high. In 1913 the cancer death
rate for Maine was 1915; New Hamp-
shire 104.4; and Massachusetts 101.4.
kentucky had the low record with the
rate of as. In 1912 Vermont also led
with the rate of 110.4 per 100000.
Cancer is not hopeless incurable
affection, as so many people wrongly
believe Those who know the facts
ire of the opinion that if the public {
AN be properly educated in regard to
his disease the present mortality
hould be reduced at least half and {
perhaps two-t thirds. The American I
'ociety for the Control of Cancer be- t
ieves that every intelligent man and $
woman should be acquainted with the f
arly signs of cancer and that this t
when fully disseminated d
,ilI greatly reduce the advanced b
orms of the disease. i
The State Medical Society will start v
he campaign Of education in Vermont v
Y holding a series Of public meetings a
0 spread the bad news of the high S
ancer death rate and the good news e
{ the hope of controlling the disease v
y earlier recognition and prompt sur Il
ical treatment. Four district meet e
lgs will be held on Tuesday, Wednes- 3
ay, Thursday, and Friday, June Sth Il
, 1lth, at Rutland, Burlington, Mont Y
elier and St. Johnsbury. Two kinds u
meetings will be held. In the after ri
oon the sessions will be for the bene- 81
t of the medical profession and in tt
le evenings the general public will be rc
vited Men of national reputation
i'll speak and educational literature