CANCER. To the pathologist cancer means a special form of malignant tumor of which the technical name is carcinoma. As commonly used, however, cancer indi cates a malignant tumor of any form. The essential difference between a cancer and a so-called benign tumor, is that the former has a tendency to grow out into neighboring tissues by root-like projec tions, and finally to destroy the tissues themselves. The benign tumor injures its victim only because of its size or in convenient location. It is not uncommon for benign tumors to take on cancerous properties. For this reason the surgeon advises that all tumors, all suspicious lumps, as one doctor phrases it, should be promptly cut out. Many cures are achieved by the surgeon, where the lump is extirpated while small. The larger and older it is, the less is the chance of curing the victim by surgery. In certain superficial cancerous growths, radium and the x-rays have proved useful; cures have been effected by their application. But when the malignant growth is deep seated, or very active, no form of rays can, as a rule, stay its progress. Re garding the cause of cancer there is as yet no general agreement among experts. The latest experiments indicate that heredity has little part in causing it. The theory that cancer is caused by a germ is also rendered doubtful by mod ern research. The following summary from the last annual Report of the Brit ish Cancer Research Fund, will, perhaps, best indicate the present status of the cancer problem: Spirochmtas in Cancer.—These organ isms claimed by several recent observers to be the true cancer germs, were found in mice not afflicted with cancer, and were not found in cancerous tissues, which leads the doctors of the Fund to conclude that Spirochzeta has no causal relation to cancer—is not the long-sought cancer germ.
Heredity. — Experiments carried out with successive generations of mice, ex tending over five years, showed no tend ency to the inheritance of cancer.
Immunity.—It was found possible by the use of inoculations to immunize mice against cancer from other mice. "These
achievements must not be confounded," says the report, "with successful vaccina tion against spontaneous cancer arising." As yet this has not been accomplished, but the prospect that it will be eventu ally is increased by the work above re corded. This would mean, apparently, routine vaccination for the prevention of cancer; possibly also a curative as well as a preventive vaccine. Just now this is the direction from which a cancer cure seems most likely to come.
Increase of Cancer.—Regarding the supposed great increase in the occurrence of cancer, the more conservative sur geons are skeptical. They believe that most of the apparent increase is due to (1) better diagnostic methods; that is, we recognize more tumors as cancers now than was the case formerly, and (2) the fact that more people live to the cancer age. (Cancer is particularly a disease of maturity and old age, although it occasionally occurs in young persons, and even children.) Among the most in teresting discoveries of recent years in the cancer field is the fact that this dis ease is of very widespread occurrence in both the animal and vegetable world. Wild as well as domestic animals are heavy sufferers from its ravages.
The chief advance in the treatment of cancer in recent years has been in the employment of radium, which has proved to be an effective remedy. Applied to cancer in its early stages, radium has ef fected a valuable cure and is an advan tage even in aggravated cases. It is the gamma ray which is applied to the can cerous growth. The alpha rays burn, and have to be screened off. The gamma rays destroy diseased tissue before they will attack sound tissue. The chief ob stacle to the use of radium is its scarcity and expense. The State of New York in August, 1920, purchased 2 grams and one-quarter of radium for the free treat ment of cancer and allied malignant dis eases. This amount is sufficient to treat 2,000,000 patients.