Evening star., 1936-07-26
CANCERFEARHELD
[ OFTEN HARMFUL
Disease Can Be Checked if
Treated Early Enough,
Expert Says.
- the Associated Press.


was expressed today by DR.. A. c.
Broders, surgical pathologist of the
Medical College Of Virginia and the
Mayo Clinic. Rochester, MINI.
Just as some people think that all
snakes are dangerous, so they also be-
lieve that all cancers are death
dealing" he declared. Both ideas are
almost equally erroneous, and the fear
generated in cancer patient Is some-
times more difficult to overcome than
the cancer ITSELF"
Ger and the number Of deaths 1t causes
each year, most cancers can be checked
If treated early enough, DR.. Broders
said. II would not be too optimistic
about the possibility of completely rid
ding mankind Of cancer, as has been
done with some strains of mice. How
ever, if treated early enough, most
cancers can be cured"
Early Treatment Urged.
Successful treatment Of cancer de-
pends greatly on how early case is
recognized, he added, and therefore it
is important that any suspicious
growth be studied Immediately by a
physician and microscopic examina-
tion be made Of the suspected tissue.
Cancers are not always painful.
and a suspicious growth should not
be ignored merely because it does not
hurt" the pathologist added. Some
of the most malignant cancers known
have developed from white moles.
Persons who live in mortal fear
that they may develop cancer from
bruises or injuries, or that their ulcers
will develop into cancer, do a lot OF
unnecessary worrying" he declared.
"There has been an erroneous impress
sion built up in the minds OF many
people that cancer usually develops
from a bruise or other injury. 1t
rarely does, and furthermore believe
that ulcers rarely turn into cancer"
DR.. Broders, who is to return August
to the Mayo Clinic after having es-
tablished a department of surgical
pathology here, declared that cancer
is the result of fundamental changes
in the cells of the body and while
cancer can be induced by contact with
such things as coal tar and certain OF
its derivatives, cancer as we see 1t In
the human rarely arises as the result
Of injury"
Studies 20, 900 Gases.
Since 1918 when he began his scien-
tiflc research on cancer, DR.. Broders
has studied more than 10000 cases
and has traced the histories of large
number of them in preparing grading
system for cancer based on the micro
scopic appearance of the diseased It's
sue.
II am often asked the question
What is the cause of cancer?' he con-
tinued so far as spontaneous can
Ger is concerned, it would be about as
difficult to answer that question as to
answer the other question, What Is the
cause of life'?"
Among physicians the term cancer
Is reserved to designate malignant
growth that arises from epithelium,
the tissue of which the epidermis Of
the skin, the mucous membranes and
the functioning part of various CLAN
dular organs are composed"
In the past the most popular theo-
fies on the cause Of cancer have been
the chronic irritation or injury the
ories, he declared, and they have been
widely believed among both medical
practitioners and the general public.
IT believe bacteria play practically
no part in the causation of cancer.
However, it has been found intimately
associated with certain parasites in
man and the lower animals. At the
same time constant irritation plays
only small part in the occurrence Of
cancer.
AT one time it was believed that
cancer of the lip among men was
caused by the use of tobacco. How
ever. a study of 537 men with cancer
Of the lip and 500 normal individuals
showed that about the same number
in each group, about 80 per cent, used
tobacco in some FORM" DR.. Broders
occur In those who abstain from al
cohol as we'll as those who do not"
Three Grades Found.
Explaining a method he has devel-
oped for grading cancer, one Of the
newest medical tools devised to fight
1t, he declared that it is based on the
tendency of cancer cells to initiate
normal cells and vice versa. He finds
three grades.
Grade 1 cancers grow slowly and
have only a slight tendency to spread
to distant parts of the body and are
accordingly the most responsive to
treatment. Cancers of the other two
grades have proportionately greater
powers to grow and spread. They
very rarely progress from one grade
to another" he said.
When cancer is suspected in pa
tient. lesion of the breast, for ex-
ample, small piece Of the diseased
tissue is removed surgically, taken
into laboratory adjoining the oper-
ating room, frozen, sectioned, strained
and placed on glass slide. 1t is then
emagnified more than 100 times under
the microscope to make possible
study of the cells and classification
Of the cancer, if that is what 1t proves
to be.
Heredity is the major factor in the
occurrence Of cancer, the pathologist
declared, and persons whose families
show a marked tendency to cancer
should avoid marrying into similar
cancerous families, because it Is GER
tain that such marriages will result in
a higher incidence of cancer in their
children.
Similarly, such persons with a fam
lily record Of cancer must be ex.
tremely watchful for any growth or
bodily maladjustment and seek COM
petent medical advice early" he added.
Transmission Of Disease.
cit would be difficult to give per-
son cancer unless that individual is
susceptible to it in a hereditary way"
DR.. Broders added. "The susceptible
ity is inherent and the cancer makes
itself manifest in a situation, the
stomach, for example, at certain