Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1917-01-26


produced very important palliative re-
suits In advanced cases Of cancer, and
has even, In considerable number of
Uses, apparently caused a complete
appearance OF the disease, yet 1t
cyhnot be relied upon to effect a per-
manent cure in the late stages of In
operable tumors, and therefore che i'm
portance of early diagnosis of cancer
Is again emphasized. Such Is the es-
sential message from science TO the
public on the present status OF the
radium treatment, according TO DR..
James Ewing OF Cornell University
Medical college who took part In u
symposium on this disease held this
krnoon at the American Museum OF
Natural History under the auspices of
Section X physiology and Expert
mental Medicine) of the American AS
ISOLATION for the Advancement of Sci
ence. Other papers of special scien.
tific interest were presented by num-
Der or the foremost students OF the
cancer problem.
Doctor Ewing spoke from his expe.
rience with the radium treatment OF
cancer at the Memorial hospital with
which he Is connected as director of
Cancer Research and which is receiv-
ing, through the generosity of DR..
James Douglas, a large part of the
radium now produced under improved
processes by the United States Bureau
OF Mines in cooperation with the Ma
tional Radium institute.
Remarkably Little Soaring.
According to the speaker the use of
radium in cancer has within the last
ten years established itself as an ex-
cellent method Of dealing with benign
and malignant tumors Of the skin
which, when properly applied, 1t usu-
ally removes promptly and with re-
markably little soaring. In the major
types of cancer of the accessible mu-
cous membranes radium has also
achieved considerable success. 1t has
been chiefly tested in uterine cancer in
which disease 1t has accomplished rad
ical Improvement Of many inoperable
cases and several apparently complete
cures as attested by post-mortem ex-
animation after the patients had died
from other causes. A number OF for
eign surgeons state that their results
are better than with surgery and they
employ radium In both operable and
INF Fable uterine cases. The leading
AmWlcan surgeons who are using
radium obtain equally good results, but
take the opposite position that they
prefer to operate in suitable cases.
According to theSpeaker, much the
same situation exists in regard to many
other forms Of accessible cancer, while
a few authorities even report apparent
success with such difficult cases as
those Of the lip, tongue, rectum, etc.
1T has become apparent" said Doctor
Ewing, "that success depends very
largely upon the skill and accuracy of
application, upon a knowledge Of the
anatomical character Of the particular
tumors treated, and above oil, upon
attacking the disease before 1t Is too
far advanced"
Limitations of RadIum.
Referring to the limitations Of
radium therapy as numerous and for
mldable," Doctor Ewing pointed out
that ''the supply of this metal is small
and generally restricted to a few In.
stitutions. The requisite skill to APP
ply II safely and effectively and to
choose suitable cases Is still more re-
stricted. Beginners often do more
harm than good and 1t Is easy to dis
credit the agent entirely. The meth
DDS are badly In need Of Standardized
ton. Underdosage may destroy super
fetal tumor cells only and leave the
deeper ones to grow In the inflamed
PES. Overdosage causes the de-
ktion Of normal or diseased tbs.
sd resulting In fistulas, hemorrhage
and severe infection. With repeated
doses tumor cells appear to become
less and normal tissue more suscepti
bic. Excessive soaring often results
and prolonged exposure to large
amounts often causes a peculiar and
severe form Of general lntoxication
Several workers have had fatal results
hhCth dttCAuPto " CuiC uufuhNOu
cases. Finally, radium has only local
effect, extending at most to q depth of
six to ten centimeters, and IL II has
any constitutional influence this cannot
be relied upon to deal with extensive
local or generalized cancer. Under
these circumstances, q general recon.
mendation to the public TO resort to
radium for all types and stages of can.
cs- decidedly inadvisable."
Future Of Radium.
With reference to the future of
rsdium, Doctor Ewing did not venture
forecast. but pointed out that very
great significance must be attached to
Its selective action on many kinds OF
tumor tissue. IN spite of rapid i'm.
proyement In the technique Of applica.
ton, the speaker believed that on the
whole the methods are still compare.
lively crude. although he had little
doubt that exact dosage and accurate
adjustment Of the apparatus can be
worked out to a much greater degree
"a