The New York herald., 1921-02-20
Or. Wood Tells Of Experiments
Being Conducted at Colum-
bia University.
STILL SEEK FOR CAUSES
Use of Radium Limited Be
caase Of Prohibitive Cost
Diagnosis Important.

Francis Carter Wood, director of the
George Crocker special research fund
laboratories. In report made pub
lie yesterday DR.. Wood discussed
the results Of experiments which COM
bined heat and the X-ray In the treat
cent OF the mysterious ailments. In
teresting results were obtained by COM
bining heat and the &-ray, but DR..
Wood states that ii is not possible as
yet TO determine whether findings OBJ
tanned from experiments on animals
can be transferred to human beings.
Research has shown" said DR.. Wood,
that the unknown agents which lie be-
hind the production OF cancer apply
both to mice and men. That the cause.
or, what Is more probable the causes, OF
cancer will be discovered in a short
time is more than doubtful. Ultimate
solution may have to walt upon ad-
vances In our knowledge OF the condi-
tlons OF growth and life in cells as yet
not only undiscovered but not even
foreshadowed.
In the meantime much remains to
be done which will be OF great help in
the diagnosis and treatment OF cancer,
and this is, after all, the more impor-
tant as far as the human race is con-
cerned than is the ultimate knowledge
OF the cause Of the disease. for even
should the cause be discovered 1t does
not necessarily follow that remedy
will be Immediately forthcoming"
How the X-Ray Acts.
Discussing the application OF the
x-ray to humorous growths DR.. Wood
said:
THE results permit the conclusion
that while, as has long been known.
certain human tumors of low malignancy
can unquestionably be cured, many of
The new growths which involve the
internal organs require so large an
amount OF x-ray that their proper
treatment would place the life OF ths
patient in Jeopardy. II a tumor Is ver-
susceptible TO radiation It may be
possible to effect 4 cure by approaching
the maximum dose, but some tumors
are very much more resistant than
others. and the highly resistant varieties
are still beyond any real and permanent
benefit from radium or X-ray treat
nent.
Among these may be included most
OF the tumors of the digestive tract and
those of the lungs liver, kidney and
spleen. While, therefore, certain
amount of Improvement often follows
raging, even in the case OF the more
resistant tumors, no permanent cure of
these types as result of treatment
either by radium or by x-ray can at
present be hoped for.
ready been determined IN this laboratory.
comparative studies were possible, and
these seem TO show that there is but
little II any difference between the
effects Of the two agents when applied
under strictly comparable conditions
The advantages OF radium lie in its
portability and in the fact that It can
be inserted into the tumor itself, while
the X-ray is Of necessity applied only
externally and. therefore. through the
skin and other tissues covering the
tumor. In the use Of x-ray an addi-
tional danger lies In the high voltage
which must be used in producing rays
which will penetrate in sufficient con-
centration TO the inside OF the tumor
without damaging the skin.
Radium Cost Prohibitive.
''On the other hand. the cost OF a
sufficient quantity oe radium is in many
instances prohibltive while a satisfac-
tory type Of &-ray apparatus is az Ill
able In all the larger cities. With the
limited amount Of radium now available
II Is probable that the use of this agent
will IN the future be confined very large
" 10 institutions with endowments sur
ficient 10 purchase the large quantities
necessary. An interesting phase OF this
financial problem is the purchase by
New York State of S250.000 worth of
radium for the State Institute for the
Study OF Malignant Disc q at Buffalo.
in order that this remedia agent may be
placed at the disposal Of those too poor
to pay even fraction OF the interest
charges on so large a sum.
Faced by the dilemma OF the natural
limitations TO the amount of x-ray which
can be given 70 n patient. several men,
bers OF the stan have been carrying on
series Of experiments In combining
maximum doses with other physical
agents which act destructively on tumor
cells. in the hope that large amounts OF
energy may thus be set free inside the
tumor to destroy the cells and yet the
patients life be not jeopardized.
"One form OF such energy Is heat, and
experiments on animals so far seem to
indicate that Il is possible b. the appii-
Sation Of suitable electric currents to
heat the substance Of a tumor so az to
produce considerable destructive action
without In any way injuring the patient.
A dose Of N-ray necessary to Kill a
tumor In an animal usually causes death
OF the animal In the course Of a few
days, but with a combination Of heat
and raging better results have been OBJ
tanned. Whether these findings can be
transferred with success to human be-
ings 1t is not possible to state at the
present time.
"The question of diagnosis In cancer
is vital. for with the knowledge that
cancer In its inclpiency Is ALWAYS a
local disease and could be removed with
out danger OF return could diagnosis
be made, everything which leads to an
improvement In our diagnostic ability Ii
real advance toward the control OF
the disease. One Of the important
methods for early diagnosis Is the re-
moval of a small fragment for micro
scopc study. By many this has been
thought to he a hazardous procedure.
but Ia paper published from this lab
oratory Il has been shown that. In as
animal at least. such lncision does not
cause any distribution Of the tumor and
that therefore this method OF determin-
ing the nature Of q small tumor not
otherwise diagnosable may be safely em-
pnyed.~'