Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1915-05-05
Cancer in Vermont. Meeting for Study
in St Johnsbury.

According to statistics recently pub
lished by the census bureau, Vermont
has the highest cancer death rate of
any state in the UnitedsStates regis
tration area. In 1913, 402 people died
from cancer in Vermont, which gives
the rate of ILL per 100000 of the
population. This is an average of
little over one victim a day. The
Vermont State Medical society consid-
ers 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
Meetings and lectures will soon be
pelier and ST. Johnsbury The fact
that Vermont has the highest cancer
death rate does not necessarily mean
that people are especially liable to
cancer because they happen to live
here. According to the census bureau
Vermont's high death rate is accounted
| by the relatively high age distribution
| of the population 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
districts and seek the large cities of
the country. Cancer is a disease of
middle and later life. Of the total of
4O2 deaths from cancer in the state
only Sc were under fifty years of age,
while 3O2 deaths occurred between the
ages of SO and 80 years. Although the
rate is seriously high there should be
no fear that Vermont is perhaps q
"cancer state" in the same sense that
we hear of the mythical "cancer
houses" and "cancer Streets" The
rates for the neighboring states are
cancer death rate for Maine was 1915
New Hampshire, 1O4.4; and Massa
chusetts. 1914. Kentucky had the
low record with the rate of 48. IL
!; 1912 Vermont also led with the rate o.
l10.4 per 100000. Cancer is not {
hopeless incurabe affection, as 81
many people wrongly believe. Thos'
who know the facts are of the opinion
that if the public can be properl.
educated in regard to this disease the
present mortality should be reduced a
least half and perhaps two thirds
: The American Society for the Contro
of Cancer believes that every intelli
, gent man and woman should be &C
: quainted with the early signs of canoe
1 and that this knowledge, when full
disseminated, will greatly reduce tn
q advanced forms of the disease. Tn
state medical society will start tn
g campaign of education in Vermont b
p holding a series of public meetings
: spread the bad news of the hig
- cancer death rate and the good new
J, of the hope of controlling the diseas
q by earlier recognition and promr
;, surgical treatment. Four distrie
= meetings will be held on Tuesday, Wed
! nesday, Thursday and Friday, June st
= to 18th at Rutland, Burlington, Mon
. pelier and St. Johnsbury. Two kline
\ of meetings will be held. Tn the afte1
= noon the sessions will be for the benz
\ fit of the medical profession and in til
n evenings the general public will
g invited. Men of national reputatio
y will speak and educational literatul
;, will be distributed.