The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-12-13

only, and then only through
his column.
my breast. Could it be cancer7
What should l do?" The editor
who sent me the letter wrote
ave have a good cancer control
set-up in this town, but education
Of the public is slow"
Exactly. II all seems so clear.
How in the name of humanity can
i sitting at desk 500 miles away
tell from a letter or description
whether a lump in a 40-year-old
woman's breast is cancer or not?
Some such Jumps are, the major
ity are not. The majority are
chronic inflammatory masses that
tend to occur at that age, which
happens to be the age at which
cancer occurs.
Examination Needed
The proper procedure is to 20
TO a doctor or properly organized
clinic and have an examination
and an opinion. AS the editor says,
The machinery is all set up. They
have in that city where the wom-
an lived branch of the National
Society for the Control Of Cancer
with a properly authorized clinic.
In about four out of five cases.
of this kind a definite opinion
could be given after getting a bis
tory and making a simple physical
examination by palpation. 1t
might take 20 minutes. In the case
which is in doubt a small piece of
tissue could be removed under
local anaesthetic, submitted to a
pathologist who would section it,
put it under a microscope and ar
rive at a very definite conclusion.
Why do not people follow this
perfectly simple and reasonable
procedure7
suppose some do not because
II ignorance. They do not know
where the clinic is. They sit there
wasting precious time, and don't
even look in the telephone book. II
there is no listing under Cancer
Control the local medical society
can tell the proper address. There
is either city or a county medical
society everywhere. II you don't
know the name Of it call up any
doctor and he will give advice, II
you live out in the country away
from any doctor it certainly is
. worth a trip to town.
Patients Fear
Another reason that holds with
some people. is fear. They think
the doctor will want to cut, to per-
form an operation. Well, as say,
in the case Of Jumps in the breast
the chances are that in nine out Of
ten cases it is not cancer, and to
know that should certainly make
the worrier feel better. Even if it
is the exceptional case and an
operation is needed, that has been
experienced by human beings be-
fore and they have lived through
it happily and they have lived
cheerfully.
1t is certainly not as bad as sit
ting on a key Of .dynamite-and a
key about which there isn't any
maybe but which is certain to ex-
plode. Cancer does not get well Of
itself. In talking about tubercu-
losis we have to acknowledge that
lots Of cases have recovered with
out any benefit from any doctor or
medical treatment, but not cancer.
There are a few reports of spon-
taneous remission, but they are
all doubtful. And in treating it
there are only three methods
that have proved value-surgery,
8ray and radium. Anybody that
monkeys with serums or gland ex-
tracts or such like methods does it
at their own risk.
Yet another reason that may
keep such a person from applying
for proper advice is fear of the
expense involved. | do not know
how to answer that objection. The
crown and glory of the medical
profession has been that it has al
ways reached the poor. II any,
where in the world we have earned
some other reputation we have re-
linquished what is indeed a price,
less herita0a