Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-05-30
WhyConcer?

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Sdtion.
Why Cancer?
J. r. Heller. NJ. D., director
Of the National Cancer Insti-
tute. in a letter May 20,
speaks with sincerity, au-
thority and conviction. His
purpose appears to be that of
allaying any doubts or fears
that the lay public might
have regarding medical COM
potency in early detection
and diagnosis of cancer. In
view OF the fact that fear of
cancer has become an oppres-
sive and tragic weight on the
shoulders of nearly every per-
son in our Nation, we can
only thank any human being
who contributes to the abate-
ment Of this terrible fear by
means OF the presentation Of
truth and facts. DR.. Heller
presents an impressive and
encouraging picture Of the
amount Of time, money. ef-
fort and sincere dedication of
purpose which is being d.
rected to the study OF the
cure for cancer. Again, we
can only be thankful.
However, in addition to our
desperate interest in q cure
for cancer, there exists in the
heart Of every American who
is sincere in his care and con-
Germ for his family, his COM
munity and his country an
equally IL not more desperate
interest in the why of cancer.
Why do we, in this country,
have so much Of it, while the
rest Of the world is by COM
parison cancer-free? Why
does cancer strike our chill
dren and young people as
well as our older men and
women? What is there in our
lives, our air, our civilization,
our way Of life that makes us
pay so tragic and cruel q
price?
To date the American
Cancer Society and related
agencies have given very
little If any publicity to the
vast amount Of research that
has been done and continues
to be done on the connection
between cancer and the food
we eat. We see innumerable
signs telling us to give a
check and q check-up. But we
do not see signs enjoining us
to feed our body the food it
needs to not only sustain it,
but to regenerate the cells
that make it up. We read
widely publicized books and
periodicals and magazine ar
ticles on X-ray. surgery, ra-
dunn treatment, study of
cancer cells, etc.-and these
should OF course be publ
cized and read. But do we
have available to us, in the
same degree. the books and
articles that present docu-
mented, intelligent, thought
provoking evidence that cam
Ger and what we eat are in
timately connected? There
are many American citizens
men and women of the
highest sincerity, intelligence
and scientific training-men
and women who are not
"crackpots," food faddists."
or nature boys" who have
learned and possess the evil
dence to convince even the
most skeptical Of their fell
low citizens that cancer is
very possibly purely the re-
suit of the food that goes into
our bodies. h
Nearly every bite Of food
that Americans take has
chemical in 1t in one form or
another-whether it be the
fiourine in their drinking
water. the preservative in
their bread. the DOT sprays
on their fruits and vegetables
or the innumerable chemi-
calls used to artiflcally fer
tilize the soil. 1t seems I'M
likely that the human body
was created in such a way
as to properly assimilate
and digest so unnatural a
food as, for example. ar
senic! Yet arsenic is the &C
knowledged base Of many Of
the chemicals that are on
and in our foods today. We
know that large doses Of
chemicals kill insta n thy.
Might not small doses over
a long period of time kill
slowly? Does it not seem
pure common sense that
alongside the great crosses
for cancer there appear skull
and crossbones warning us to
Beware the poisonous chem
icals in our food?
eaSgicia s. kea1te2.