Evening star., 1946-08-07
Opens
Cancer Control
Center Monday
Doctors Hope to Put
District on Par With
Other Cities in Fight

A greatly broadened program of
cancer control in the District was
envisioned today by hospital and
public health officials, preparing to
open a community cancer center
Monday at Gallinger Hospital.
There are several hundred cancer
clinics in hospitals throughout the
country, including work of that kind
in some other hospitals here. The
center at Gallinger expects to
grow" and eventually place Wash
ington in line with similar centers
in New York and Boston," DR.. Al
vim r. Sweeney, superintendent.
said today.
Gallinger is in an especially ap-
propriate position. he explained
because it treats many cancer pa
tients and because its staff special
lists and equipment will be available
to keep the center eventually in
continuous operation. 1t also is
fortunate in having the services of
consultants from medical schools
and other institutions here, he said
Health Service Active.
DR.. George c. Rutland, District
health officer, and officials of the
United States Public Health Service
are working actively with Dr.
Sweeney in setting up the Gal
linger center.
Ihey will meet Friday with DR..
Roy Hertz. an endocrinology spe-
clallst assigned to the center bv
the Public Health Services National
Health Institute. At that time they
will arranged for the formal OPEN
ing Monday and also will discuss
the Districts new cancer control
program which is being financed by
additional Federal funds, DIR.
Sweeney said.
DR.. Rutland said today the
broadened control program here
should include a requirement that
cancer cases be reportable as are
many other diseases. He believes
the District Commissioners have
authority to make a regulation for
reporting cancer, which we regard
as a preventable disease"
Whether or not such regulation
Is issued, however, DR.. Rutland
urged cooperative effort" by the
medical profession to achieve the
same result. He said he already
has proposed such action to med
ical groups and has received "a
most favorable response
Few Centers of Kind.
DR.. Sweeney. DR.. Rutland and
spokesmen at the cancer research
Office of the Public Health Service
explained that the Gallinger clinic
will not be the first of its kind in the
country or even in Washington
However, except for tumor clinics in
hospitals devoted entirely or prin-
cipally to cancer cases, there are
comparatively few centers of the
type planned at Gallinger, they
said.
Tumor clinics are maintained at
emergency, Georgetown and PrOvi-
dence Hospitals, DR.. Ruhland's Of
flee stated. Most OF them are open
at specified hours several days a
week.
On Community Basis.
Gallinger Hospital also has oper-
ated tumor clinic. The new can
Ger control center at Gallinger will
be considerably larger and on a
community basis, it was explained
Besides offering clinical treatment
it will work closely with public
health officials in general control
measures and development OF
methods.
The G2llinger center DR.. Sweeney
said, will be stated principally by
the hospital specialists and in
ternes, with continuous assistance
OF DR.. Hertz and frequent services
OF consultants. 1t will have a spe.
cial laboratory and the alread,
available radium and x-ray equip.
ment.