The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1952-04-18
By ROBERT W. MADRY

Many lives are being saved by
/ the cancer detection center pro-
gram in North Carolina, but re-
ports show that more universal use
of the clinics would result in a
drastic reduction of the annual
death toll from this dread disease,
Cancer strikes one person in five,
one in every two families. In 1850
there were 3,163 deaths from can
Ger in North Carolina.
Although the clinics are playing
an increasingly important part in
reducing deaths, too many people
in this state are dying of cancer
unnecessarily.
Figures show consistently that
three to four per cent of all per-
sons coming to detection and dag
nostic centers in the state are
found to have cancer.
Such is the report of Mrs.
George E. Marshall of Mount Airy,
State Commander and executive
vice-president of the North Caro-
lima Division of the American
Cancer Society, which throughout
the month of April is conducting
its annual campaign for funds for
it's three-point program-direct
service, research, and professional
education.
More and more people are going
to the clinics at the time they sus-
pect symptoms or even before.
Encouraging Report
In 1948, for instance, only 43.9
percent of the cases of cancer dis
covered at the New Hanover De-
acknowledgements Center, Will
mington, were found to be early.
In 1949, the early cancers totalled
81 per cent; 1850, rs per cent; by
1851, 80 per cent of the cancers
detected were in the early stage.
These facts are highly encourag-
ing because in a high percentage
of cases early cancers can be cured
through surgery, ralium or X-ray,
Mrs. Marshall points out.
The Division of Cancer Con-
troll, State Board of Health, re-
ports that total of 1,043 cancer
cases have been detected during
the four-year period of the clinics
operation, 1948-51.
Last year nearly 10000 persons
were examined in the free detec-
ton and diagnostic centers in the
State. A breakdown by counties
of those attending shows that SO
out of 100 counties were represent
ed by from one to 639 persons.
County with the largest represen-
tation was Buncombe, with $50;
followed by Guilford, 577; New
Hanover, 548; Nash, ATT; Column
bus, 499; Durham, AL; and Wake,
424.
Location of Clinics
Our nearest diagnostic center is
Rocky Mount. Our nearest detec-
ton center, Elizabeth City, the
first Friday each month.
At the detection centers, usually
held in the morning, men over 40,
women over 35, and people believ-
ed to possess suspicious symptoms,
are given a preliminary examina-
ton of the five spots where cam
Ger is most frequently found; en-
tire skin surface, breasts, oral
cavity, genital organs and rectum.
Preceding this examination by a
doctor, clerks and aides register
the patients and take complete
medical histories on them.
Any patient found to have sus-
picious lesion is referred to the
diagnostic center, held in the af-
ternoon. Here a group of special
lists sees the person. If special ex-
animation is indicated, or labora-
tory tests seem advisable, the team
of specialists handles this. When
laboratory reports are in, the doc
tors confer and make their dag
nosis of the case.
Referred to Private Physician
No treatment is given. The
Diagnostic Center report is refer
red to the patients private physi-
clan.
All the diagnostic centers are a
combination of detection and dag
nostic work. The detection centers
do only the preliminary or screen
ing. Thus a patient going through
the detection center at Elizabeth
City is referred back to his private
physician or he may go on to
Rocky Mount to the detection
diagnostic center for the final