Milford chronicle., 1933-03-31

particular:
Amy lump. especially in tn
breast.
Amy sore that does not hea
especially about the tongue, mouth
or lips.
3-Any discharge or bleedinl
from the openings of the body which
IS not understood, especially from
the female generative organs or rec
tum.
a. Persistent Indigestion witt
loss of weight
To help physicians in detectinl
cancer we propose the establish
ment of cancer clinics in severa
cities throughout the State. These
clinics, stated by specialists in the
early detection of cancer. will Oper-
ate without cost to the patient or to
the referring physician. We hope
that such clinic will be establish
ed in Milford in the near future.
AS a further aid in cancer dag
nosis, the committee has made tis-
sue diagnosis service available TO
all recognized hospitals and regis
tered physicians in Delaware, which
means that any doctor. suspecting
that he is dealing with cancer,
may send some of the tissue to a
laboratory for microscopic eXamina-
ton. The tissue submitted may rep
resent tiny piece cut out under
local anesthesia with scarcely any
discomfort to the patient.
DR.. Springer suggested that you
might De interested in knowing
what is done at the laboratory with
such a piece, of tissue. That is my
particular speciality. Having given
you adequate demonstration that l
am not a public speaker, l might
tell you that l am a pathOlogist, and
/ hope it may be said of me that as
an orator, / am good pathologist
The tissue is put into formalde-
hyde solution which hardens and
preserves it. A selected portion is
passed through a succession of bot
ties containing alcohol and chloro-
form. Then it is soaked in melted
parafin. When the tissue is thor
oughly permeated with wax, the
paraffin is allowed to harden. BY
means of a special machine, slices
about one-fve-thousandth of an inch
thick are cut from the tissue. These
are stuck on to thin strips of glass
and passed through a complicated
series Of solutions and dyes. The
delicate slice of tissue finally comes
out stained with beautiful shades of
red and blue. The object is to OBJ
tain a piece of tissue so thin that
the minute cellular structure is Wis
ible under the miscroscope. The
staining process makes the struc-
lures much more easily distinguish
able. The pathologist can usually
tell from a we'll made section whe-
ther or not a cancer is present, from
what kind of tissue it originated, I
how rapidly it is growing, and how
readily it is likely to respond to
radium or deep X-ray. Such an an
alysis of a case is often of the great
est value in indicating whether sur
gerry or radiation should be used
and how extensive an operation ]
should be performed.
This work fascinates me more .
than anything else and l often feel
like the Irishman who, when asked
what kind of work he was doing,
said, 'I'm not working. All do is
carry bricks to the top of a ladder.
The masons at the top do all the
work"
In this time of financial stress the !
economic phase of the problem Is
important. If we estimate that
$4,000 represents the value of
year of life of an individual to the
the monetary loss to the
State Of Delaware from cancer
deaths in 1882 was S275,OOO.0O. I
There is no way of estimating the
additional loss due to the decreased
earning capacity of cancer patients
living throughout the year.
The early diagnosis of cancer is
jifficult and frequently requires the
efforts of surgeons, red
ologist, and pathologist. Once a
of cancer is made, there
ire only two methods of treatment
If proven success-surgery and rad
alton, and by radiation is meant
radium and deep X-ray. No form Of
erum, diet, heat, chemical, salve, or I
las proven to be OF
value.
What can we hope to accomplish
With our cancer control program?
There is abundant evidence that
$50 to 900 Of cancer can be cured
/ they can only be adequately
reated while they are accessible
md local.
We shall make a good start in
,ancer control in Delaware if we !
an teach everyone to read the can
.er danger signals, if we can induce
,veryonc to have a thorough perio-
lie health examination with special
'eference to the hazard of cancer.
f we can find a substantial number
# the $50 cancer patients in Della
ware and assist their private phys J
ians in making prompt diagnosis {
nd advising as to the best forms OF &
leatment. {
I can close with no more concise /
nd fitting statement of the cancer
roblem than to quote from Hippo |
rates: .
life is short and the art long. (
The occasion instant.
Decision difficult.
Experiment perilous." v