Milford chronicle., 1933-03-31

stare OF LeiaNdIe unuei the super
vision of the Delaware Committee
OF the American Society for the
Control OF Cancer. in an address
delivered before the Milford New
Century Club on Monday, March
20, 1888.
This opportunity of speaking to
you on the subject of cancer is one
which I greatly appreciate. Your
interest in the subject is another
manifestation of the active part that
women have always played in the
war against cancer. Women carry a
heavy burden in regard to cancer
because it is the women who send
the men to the doctors and who
nurse them when they are sick.
Some of the ablest doctors working
on cancer problems are women.
Much OF the money required to pay
the costs of cancer control pro-
grams throughout the country is
raised by committees of women.
Aside from these altruistie activities,
women should be especially inter-
ested in cancer because it affects
them more frequently than it does
men.
Almost every one has some sort of
tumor or growth at some time of
life on or in some part of the body.
Tumors are made up of some of the
cells of the body which for some
unknown reason grow in a disor-
derby manner and are of no use to
the body Many of the commOnest
tumors, such as simple warts, fat
tumors and blood vessel tumors are
quite harmless and are only of con-
Germ because of their appearance or
because of the inconvenience they
cause. On the other hand, some
tumors which at first resemble the
harmless varieties in appearance,
have the power of unlimited growth,
and will invade, destroy, spread TO
other parts of the body, and kill un-
less prompt and adequate means are
taken to eradicate or kill them. Such
tumors are known as cancers.
The disease may appear at any
age hut seldom appears before the
age of thirty and most of the deaths
occur at slightly over so years Of
age. It affects all classes of people
and is regardless of social status
Every year a steadily increasing
number of deaths from cancer is re-
ported, so that for the last few years
it ranks second as the greatest
cause of death.
To combat this great peril, asso-
Citations of laymen and doctors have
been formed throughout the civil
lied world. In this country there is
The American Society for the Con-
troll OF Cancer with headquarters i'll
New York City. Subsidiary to it
are the committees of the various
states and under these are the local
organizations. This unified struc-
tire throughout the country is at
tacking the cancer problem in sew
eral ways:
by keeping physicians inform
ed of the best ways of detecting and
treating cancer.
BY a program of public educa-
tion.
3-By assisting in the organiza-
ton of cancer clinics.
Your invitation this afternoon al
lows us to outline the plans which
the Delaware Committee under ap-
proval of the American Society for
the Control of Cancer has formulat-
ed for a statewide cancer control
program. We do not know just how
big our problem is here. But we do
know that last year 26S Delaware
residents were reported to the state
Department of Health as dying from
cancer, and that seven other Della
ware residents are known to have
died of cancer outside the State. The
cancer committee is not especially
concerned with the patients with ad-
vanced cancer who will make up the
estimated toll of about $50 deaths
in 1888. Every intelligent person
knows that a large progressive ul-
cerating lump in the breast is prob
ably a cancer so far developed that
it is beyond hope of cure. I do not
wish to speak further of this pessi-
mistic aspect of cancer. 1 wish,
rather to speak of the prevention d;
and early detection Of the disease
with which the committee is espe-
cially interested.
There are usually conceded to be {
about three cancer patients living
for every cancer death reported.
it is estimated that about
$50 of Delaware's population have '
cancer. 1t is only by assisting these
$50 persons in obtaining adequate 1
treatment and in teaching cancer
prevention to everyone else that we [
can hope to check the relentless an 1
nual increase in cancer deaths. The
task is difficult and requires the CO. {
operation of the public with the {
profession. In our program {
of public education we hope to teach {
that most of the factors that tend to {
produce cancer belong to the per- !
sonal habits of the individual, which i
are necessitated by the stress of {
modern civilized life. The most eff \
fective plan of avoiding cancer is TO {
practice moderation in all things, to q
live as simple life as possible, to t
attend to minor rersistent disturb
ances in the function of ones or g
gans, and to consult a physician at :
least once wear for a thorough c
exawination.
Our highways are carefully mark
ed with danger signals which an
nually save many lives. We can