Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-24
With Polio Out, Where Do Medics
Go FromHere in Fighting Disease?

sease," neoplastic signifying new
growth"
What causes a cancer? Doctors
have few half-formed ideas about
some cancers, but they don't really
know. Only men die Of prostate
cancers and only women of uterine
cancers because the prostate and
the uterus, respectively, are male
and female monopolies. But are they
the same disease, attacking differ
ent organs? Doctors do not know.
And is there anything in common
between cancer of the lung and
leukemia? Both are neoplastic dis
eases. but there the relationship
seems to stop. Certainly patients
die of respiratory cancers without
showing any signs of leukemia-and
vice versa.
About the only thing doctors are
sure OF is that cancers are not
caused by germs. The same is true
Of the ailments Jumped as diseases
Of the heart" It is true. also, of
strokes.
But knowing what doesn't cause
a disease is like knowing what isn't
wrong with your television set. You
are long way from fixing the
trouble if that is all you know.
Concer Cures Now
AS far as cancer is concerned, the
best "cures" at the present are ac-
complished through surgery and
radiation. The radical mastectomy
removal of the affected breasts
a safe and sure way of arresting
that kind Of cancer in a woman,
proDided the neoplasnis haze not
entered the Emphatic system. Skin
cancers are among the most cur
able" Of the neoplastic diseases.
But doctors emphasize that this is
because such cancers are usually
called to the surgeons attention
early and can be removed safely.
Caught too late, skin cancer can
be just as hopeless as any other
kind.
Treatment of heart diseases is
channeled into efforts to keep the
patient alive as long as possible
Sometimes surgery will help. Diet
and drugs also are used. Strict
regimenS. including rest, are laid
out. But a doctor attempting to
cure" heart disease is, more often
than not. on a foors errand. He
doesn't really know what he is try
ing to cure.
The neurological diseases are even
more battling. What causes a per-
sons body to waste away under
muscular dystrophy or stiffen up
under multiple SclerosiS? What
causes epilepsy? What causes
stroke? And even if the doctors
knew. what could they do about
these diseases?
Public HeoIth
The point was made earlier that
there is no known way of cheating
death. But the things people die
of can be changed, as indeed they
have been changed in the last so
years. 1t is in this field that medi-
cine, public health and sociology
get all mixed up together. 1t is
in this field. too, that one of the
greatest challenges presents itself.
Public health measures within the
Negro community have not kept
pace with the average national ad-
vance in conquering contagious and
infectious diseases. There is
great disparity between death rates
of Negroes and whites in number
of diseases in which race itself does
not seem to be factor.
Here are a few statistics pointing
up the situation as it exists today:
tuberculosis: For every 10 whites
who die of TB. IS Negroes succumb.
Syphilis and resulting diseases:
For every 10 whites, SIS Negroes.
Dysentery in all its forms: 10
whites, IS Negroes.
Diphtheria: 10 whites. 80 Negroes.
Whooping cough: 10 whites, 43
Negroes.
All forms OF meningitis except the
meningococcal and tuberculous: 10
whites, IS Negroes.
Influenza and pneumonia. 10
whites, "a Negroes.
Gastrointestinal disea S: 10
whites, 81 Negroes.
All complications Of pregnancy
and childbirth except abortion: 10
whites. 60 Negroes.
Abortion almost entirely a
sociological cause of death-produc-
ing Infection: 10 whites, 1874
Negroes.
Most of these diseases could be
brought to parity among Negroes
and whites by means of broad appli-
cation of known public health
measures. This would of course,
cost considerable money, and much
of the cash and effort would have to