The New York herald., 1921-10-26
EFFECT OF RADIUM
ON CANCER SOUGHT
American College of Surgeons
Probably Will Appoint IN
vestigatin@ Committee.
DOrBT CAST ON VALUE
Experts of This Country and
of Europe Divided on
Curative Results.
DorBT CAST ON VALUE

speciol nesrrfrh r. WE NEw Yo-K HE-ALD.
PHuApvLpHIA, Oct 25.--A committee
is likely TO be appointed from the -Ameri-
can COLLEGE of Surgeons to investigate
and collect data on the effect OF radium
in the treatment of cancer.
That was indicated to-day by several
surgeons attending The eleventh annual
session OF the American College OF sur
geons. Intense discussion Of the state
ment Of Dr.. John B Deaver. president OF
the college, that little could be looked
for in radium In the treatment Of can
Ger took place throrshout the day
Dr. Deaver addr r-esed the formal OPEN
ing of tho sessions OF the college on
Monday n ight. At that time he expressed
the fear that radiun1 was productive Of
little result in the cure Of cancer
To-day surgeons attending the sessions
OF the college for the most part sided
with DR.. Deaver in his contention that
the value Of radium with cancer had yet
TO be proved. Several recommendations
that the efficacy OF radium be thorough
ly investigated were made by noted sur
geons.
Sir Harold Stiles, X. 3. E., Regius pro-
fessor of clinical sur~erv in the Ur'ver-
sity Of Fdinburg, said ne would include
such a recommendation In his fellowship
address before the college on Friday
night
''The waiter is Of such Importance"
Sir Harold declared. that a rerort
should be made to the college within a
year show'nr the relative value of the
use Of radi,,m."
Or. J. Schoemaker Of The Hague was
emphatic IN his belief that Roertgen
rays offer greater future for the treat
ment of cancer than does rad!urn
There are two 'arye radium insti-
tutes in Holland. one at Amsterdam
and one at Rotterdam" Dr. Schoer aker
declared. "A snna 'le~ one Ia located in
The Hague. Our experience has been
that radium Is venera'Iv unsatisfactory
So much so that attention Is now being
the X-rays"
DIR. William T. Mayo Of Rochester.
Mimi. was asked for hts opinion OF
the value Of radium
Frankly ] do not know" DR.. Mayo
said. perhaps only c'airvoyant can
really tell whether the future holds
any possibility Cor the greater use of
rad'u~' IN rnrror ~. atr,ent"
Prof. J. De Quervian Of Bern be-
lieve~ the oor ree,'ts obtained at
present In the use of ra1ium could be
corrected If greater quantities were ap-
piled In treat atment
Instead Of surh minute particles az
are to-day used believe II three or
more grams were rsed at once the
growth OF the cancer -','ght he hindered
But in the use OF rsdium the treat
ment should not be directly AGAINST
the skin but at distance of two o.
three centimeters. so that the emana-
tions might play on the tissues with
greater effect. Mers burning cannot
be said 10 accomplish much"
In Sweden there hGs been but little
opportunity for extended experimental
tion with radium, Prof. II. c. Jacobaeus
said.
''I might say. however. that our re-
suits with 1t in the treatment OF cancer
have been for the most part altogether
Indifferent. It has been of value In
some Instances and egain 1t has been
OF no value. 1t certainly has not been
wholly satisfactory"