Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-04-29
CANCER IN VERMONT.
state Medical Society Hopes TO Reduce
Death Rate.

According to statistics recently pSsb-
lished by the census bureau, Vermont
has the highest cancer death rate Of any
State In the United States registration
area In 1913 402 people died from cancer
in Vermont, which gives the rate of
I'LL per 10000 of the population. This Is
an average of little over one victim
a day The Vermont State Medical So
cicty considers these facts of such
significance that 1t Will cooperate with
the American 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 dis
ease may he prevented and cured. Meet
ngs and lectures will soon be given In
Rutland, Burlington, Montpelier and St.
Johnsburv
The fact that Vermont has the high
est cancer death rate does not necessarily
mean that people are especially liable
to cancer Just because they happen to
live here. According to the census bureau
Vermont's high death rate is accounted
for by the relatively high age distrhu-
ton of the population and the negligible
amount of immigration. Translated into
every day terms this means that in YER
mont the proportion Of people over forty
>
those who are under forty, and so less
| liable to cancer. is greater than in other
places This condition is doubtless be-
cause so many OF the young people leave
the farms and rural districts and seek
the larger cities of the country.
Cancer is a disease of middle and later
| life OF the total of 402 deaths from can
Ger in the State only So We're under
! fifty years of age, while 3o2 deaths oc-
! CURED between the ages of 20 and 50
! years Although the rate is seriously high
there should he no fear that Vermont
| Is perhaps cancer State in the same
sense that we hear of the mythical can
| Ger houses" and cancer streets" Tho
| rates for the neighhoring States are
! correspondingly high, In 1913 the cancer
death rate for Maine was 1913; New
Hampshire, 1914; and Massachusetts,, lol,i
Kentucky had the low record with the
rate OF As. In 1912 Vermont also led with
the rate OF 110,4 per 10000
| Cancer Is not a hopeless incurahle
| affection, as so many people wrongly be-
| lieve. Those who know the facts are OF
the opinion that If tho public can he
properly educated in regard to this dis
ease the present mortality should be re-
| duced at least half and perhaps two
thirds. The American Society for the
Control of Cancer believes that every
intelligent man and woman should be
acquainted with the early signs Of cancer
and that this knowledge when fully dis
semnated will greatly reduce the ad
vanced forms of the disease.
The State Medical society will star
the campaign of education in Vermont
by holding a series of public meetings
to spread the bad news of the high can
Ger death rate and the good news Of
the hope of controlling the disease by
earlier recognition and prompt surgical
treatment Four district meetings will be
held. on Tuesday. Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday. June S to II, at Rutland
Burlington, Montpelier and st. Johns
bury. Two kinds of meetings will be held
In the afternoons the sessions will be fo'
the benefit OF the medical profession ant
; In the evenings the general public vii
be invited, Men of NATIONAL reputation
will speak and educational literature vii
be distributed.