The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-02-09
SKIN CANCER

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 The chances are that any chronic, obstinate, recurring, often irritated, frequently bleeding sore on the skin of a person of middle age or older is NOT cancerous. However, can- cer occurs now and then in every family, not because it is heredity or communicable so far as we know, but simply because cancer is so common that it is practically certain to occur in every family, in one generation if not more.
 Skin cancer, generally of the type physicians call epithelioma, is char acteristically slow in development, mild in its manifestations and less malignant, that is less poisonous and less rapidly fatal than is carci- noma, the usual type of internal cancer.
 Sometimes one who suspects or fears he or she may be developing cancer puts of consulting physi- clan for fear the physician may confirm the suspicion and perhaps urge surgical treatment. That is a childish attitude in any crcum- stance. If it IS cancer, surely the individual ought to know about it, whether the treatment advised by the physician is accepted or not we are presuming, of course, that the individual is grown up. If the physician finds no sign of malig- nancy, that is, cancerouS degenera- tion or growth" the reassurance such diagnosis gives the patient is in itself a powerful curative factor; just as worry or fear retardS or prevents recovery.
 Skin cancer always, develops in some pre-existing lesion which has been a source of irritation for per- haps many years, such as moles, warts, Jumps, unhealed ulcers, scars from poorly treated or un- treated wounds or burns. When any such lesion of long standing begins to seem unusually irritated or to bleed on little or no provocation or to "go bad" in any way, it is the part of discretion to seek imme- diate medical advice. To wait for pain or extensive growth" or breaking down of the cancerous tissue or swelling of neighboring lymph nodes is to take a needless risk, for these signs are evident only after the cancer has advanced.
 Chief reasons why uniformed and misinformed folk fear surgical treatment are CD fear of pain; (2) fear of dying under operation or as a result of it; and (3) fear of Unfortunates who turn to quacks for treatment with the childish notion that the quack's paste, salve or "oil' will mys- teriously destroy cancer or take it out by the roots" without danger of causing great pain or suffering, hideouS mutilation or even death, are to be pitied. Modern surgical treatment is not only painless but shockless. AS for mutilation, the surgeon is responsible for far less of it. even in the most extensive operations, than the crude charla- tan produces when he applies his caustic paste, salve or oil, which destroys all tiSSueS-cancerouS or healthy-that it touches and neces- sarily leaves vicious scars if the victim survives the maltreatment.
 X-ray treatment is curative in a large share of cases of skin cancer if taken in time and adequately treated by physician skilled in X-ray treatment. Radium treatment may be advantageous in some cases, but X-ray is generally pre- ferable.
 Men or women past forty who are annoyed by any such benign lesion of long standing may pre- vent cancer by having the wart, mole or sore surgically extirpated (painlessly, under local anestheSia) and so be done with it.
 onion
 How much and how often is ii necessary to use the offensive onion in the daily diet? (MrS. D. S)
 Answer-Not at all if it is offen- sive. Nothing offensive about onion that I know of. If you mean the characteristic odor on the breath after eating raw onion, that doesn't occur when cooked onion is eaten And, Madam, show me anything of. fensive to hungry man about onior soup or steak Smothered in onions or French fried onion.
 | Round Shoulders
 I am round Shculdered. Loca doctor says brace would make con-