By PROFESSOR
LEIV KREYBERG

= a

[t IS impossible to define cancer
ally afew words. Cancer is actu-
ie Seneral term for a long
ee Of diseases which may ap-
Whig 4 all parts of the body, and
ahs are due to various external
: seg causes.
iY We now call cancer is a
ane Process: some of our own
a ite a frequently over a very
contin area, begin to divide and
without to divide apparently
ed a eing regulated or check-
that he forces in’ the tissues
obser se normal cell division,
fe ed in growth, development,
as stop.
Neer is a morbid change of a
th a Our own cells, and it is
organ ign tinuous ‘Srowth in the
tion M™ that leads to its destruc-
D
‘caneer May be the result, if the
eee Process leads to ulcers
ak ae. Possibility of bleed-
er ¢@ €ction arises. The can-
great Ss may also discharge such
duets duantities of harmful pro-
ened a at the organism is weak-
Poisoned.

© fact that cancer cells are

0
thats Wn cells and not something °

a .
Causes a come from outside

Rected he great difficulties con-
‘ wit Preventing and cur-
omethie We have to defeat
esentian Of ourselves, And the
that eager’ of the processes
brehos to the transformation
ormal cells into cancer
darknes’ “ita peed in utter
: SS, is he 5
e eni Batic: re that the can
0
; ay we hear more about
Bran our parents and
ie yParents did, and there are
is of iad think that this disease
1 Toad a €nt origin. But if we
feat Writings we will
Writter as far back as we have
jects records On medical sub-
: Cer is dealt with,
1509 Papyrus Ebers, circa
how oo Mstyuctions are given
fat this disease, and in
Wri “Shag work Ramayana,
00 years ago, the
Ns bout Operative re-
der a mors and how to

r reappe
eration PPearance after

“Be

Kan “Ae name itself, in Greek

man Kr ny Latin Cancer, in Ger-
| Whi, me 8; in Russian Rak
om: e ns crab, is borrowed

PPocrates et Greek physician
a about *: Who lives and work.
, © year 400 B.c

Mode
in ee Cancer
; research start-
Search Ws century, The first re-
im a ponewering
¢ 3 ether cane
it Was i ayer the world ahd
Dared. ered that no people

been *ecent Year:
Dles sound th
» eVe

consi :
a pian e vari-
m Nee of different
Us breast can-

A

A famous Norwegian specialist gives

Som

~

‘ i

facts
about cancer

“People now, on the average, grow considerably older than for-

merly, and as cancer needs decades to develon it means that stat-
istically we will get more cancer as life expectancy increases.”

remely _ different frequency
among the native Malayans and
the Chinese peoples, although
they lived at the same place “un-
der almost identical conditions
of. life.

The next big question which
was systematically examined was
the problem of cancer in animals.
It emerged that cancer forms,
completely corresponding to
those of man, exist among wild
animals as well as among ani-
mals in captivity.

If one finds more _ cancer
among animals controlled by man
than among the wild ones, it is
for several reasons. Among other
things the animals looked after
by man reach a greater age than

in the wild state, and they are

often examined when they die.
Wild beasts often hide when ill,
and the dead bodies are rapidly
eaten and vanish. Even among
fish and reptiles we find tumors
which microscopically show al-

most the same picture as those
of man.

This circumstance is utilized in
experimental cancer research.

*

The study of chemical substanc-
es provoking cancer has unveil-
ed a series of strange relations.
A part of the chemical substances
which are artificially produced
show a near relationship to the
sex hormones, which may also
provoke cancer.

Moreover, it has been proved
that a part of these substances,
which in a certain quantity pro-
voke cancer, in other quantities
stop the growth of cancer tumors.

This also concerns other non-
chemical substances provoking
cancer. The»ability of roentgen-
radium-rays in small and repeat-
ed doses to provoke cancer, and
in big doses to cure this disease
is well known.

As mentioned above, cancer is

due to several causes. Intemper-
ate use of alcohol is frequently
accompanied by inadequate food,
and we find certain cancer forms
more frequently among those
misusing alcohol than among the
remaining population.

There may be reason to warn
against the use of the many con-
serve preparations and color sub-
stances now being employed in
the food industry. We have no
survey of what dangers these sub-
stances may entail for develop-
ment of tumors.

In the cosmetic’ industry too, a
series of dye substances and
chemicals about whose toxic ef-
fect in the long run we have little
experience, are regularly used.

Strong~ sunshine, rain, snow
and wind can provoke changes of
the skin, which after years may
result in cancer: These cancer
forms are therefore most fre-
quently found among seainen and
Iand workers. In Australia. the
sun is so strong and both men
and animals so exposed to can-
cer that the authorities found it
necessary to warn blond people,

who are especially susceptible to’

this cancer against working as
farmers in some districts, and
fair cattle races are no longer
kept.

Permanent work in aniline fac-
tories is the source’ of tumors in
the urine bladder. Work in coal
briquette factories may lead to
skin cancer, and historically fam-
ous is the cancer of the English
chimney sweeps.

About stomach and intestinal
cancer we understand, practically
speaking, nothing of importance
regarding their origin.

Many assert that especially hot
and strongly spiced food and
use of strong spirits play a cer-
tain role. Indian colleagues, how-
ever, report that stomach cancer
is not especially frequent among
those who eat strongly peppered
food, or among those who drink
their 20-30 cups of coffee a day.

One of the most important can-
cer problems at present is lung
carminoma in Britain, today the
most common cancer in males —
and its relationship to tobacco
and especially cigarette smoking.

Many have searched for the
cancer bacillus or cancer “ani-
mal” and some assert they have
found it. For the moment, how-
ever, we have no grounds for the
assumption that cancer, generally
speaking, is due to some living
contagious agent.

Ae ce

If we examine the existing sta-

tistical material we shall find an

increase of the caneer cases in
later years.

That does not mean that cancer

now appears more _ frequently
than before. People who died in
olden days were buried without
any closer examination of death
than a certificate by a doctor.

Many who previously were
registered as dying from “old
age,” “weakness,” “liver  dis-
ease,” “jaundice,” “dropsy” and
a series of other vaguer diag-
eee are now registered correct-
y.

Also’ people now, on the aver-
age, grow considerably older than
formerly, and as cancer needs
decades to develop, it means that
Statistically we will get more
cancer as life expectancy in-

creases,
*

Since the earliest days of hu-
man society one of the noblest
aspirations of man has been the
fight against disease. What means
do we have today in opposing
cancer?

There are two main methods:
radio-therapy and surgery. By
surgery in this connection is
meant not only operation by
knife, but also operating by
means of diathermy so that the
tumor is more or less “fried’
away.

The surgical method is easy to
understand: the tumor is remov-
ed, and thereby the patient is
cured — on. condition that all

ramifications are also removed, -

and that is precisely the diffi-
culty. :

In recent years great attempts
have. been made to find chemo-
therapeutical methods. Experi-
ence shows that possibly one can
obtain something in these ways,
but thus far they have not given
important results. These means
are now used only in the most
desperate cases. :

Related to these attempts, is
the employment of hormones in
cancer treatment. In many cases
this treatment leads to relieving

of pains and prolonging of life, |
but is no remedy to effect a last-

ing recovery.

With our present knowledge
we can give general rules only
about cleanliness ,about avoiding
chronic irritations, about living
on balanced food and ensuring
that the natural funtions work
regularly. In this way one can
reduce the chance of getting can-
cer, but it would be irresponsible
to promiseganything sure.

If you discover a lump, a wound
that does not heal after good
treatment, bleeding from the
mucous membranes without any
explainable cause,
symptoms of illness such as head-
ache, digestive difficulties, diar-
rhoea and pains, the sooner you
visit a doctor, the better.

New Guinea: study in exploitation

ee a study of political. skull-

duggery, commercial manipu-
lation and the gentle but effective
art of indirect exploitation, you
can’t pick a better place than
Papua-New Guinea.

With one half of the country
administered as a Trust Territory
under United Nations direction,
you would expect to see some-
thing of the principles of the Hu-
man Rights Charter applied.

But it is a long way from the
United Nations to Port Moresby.
Monopoly interest pull the strings
here. “
Exploitation of the country and
the people has been the sole re-
sult of monopoly operations,
which have followed the general
pattern of ensuring that the na-
tives never reach the stage of
self-administration or industrial
production. ‘

Consider the fact that this is-
land has had stable administra-
tion for over 50 years, yet it has
not reached the stage of produc-
ing even a small percentage of
its essential foodstuffs.

Nor during that time, has there
been any particular effort to put
agriculture on a sound mechani-

cal basis whereby thousands of
potentially rich acres could be
cultivated.

Such a scheme could do much
toward stabilising the territory’s
economy and give practical and
profitable experience to the two
million natives.

Rice “production” is an ex-
ample of monopoly exploitation.

Rice is the staple diet of, most
of the tribes, particularly those
living on the coastal areas.

It is reasonable to expect that
by now there would be a rice in-
dustry to support this demand.
But the only “industry,” to use
the term, is in the rich Mekeo
District, 60 miles west of Port
Moresby, where the federal gov-
ernment owns a few hundred
acres and encourages local village
plots. Production is barely suf-
ficient to feed the local popula-
tion.

In this same area thousands of
acres of land suitable for rice
growing are held by commercial
companies through freehold and
leasehold tenures. The land has
not been used since the leases
were granted. :

The same is true elsewhere.

“...For the native people, tragic”

Hence, rice is grown “outside”
and shipped to New Guinea in
ships owned by the same mono-

- poly which keeps rice-growing

land underdeveloped.’

Ironically, when Japan occu-
pied New Guinea during the war,
enough rice was produced to feed
the occupation army of 30,000 for
three years. It is doubtful if 300

men could be fed for three
months on today’s production.

The same story can be told of ©

sugar. Sugar cane is indigenous

to the country yet no sugar is pro- .

duced!

It is a fact that the huge North ©
Queensland sugar industry was —

started from New Guinea cane. -
Reasons why New Guinea has

no sugar industry are seldom ~

forthcoming and when they are,
they are coated with “scientific”
explanations. Possibly the Col-
onial Sugar Refining Company
could supply the real reason —
controls the sugar market in

Australia. cS
The economic position of New

Guinea is precarious and for the
territory’s native people, tragic.
None of this, however, seems to

-perturb the Australian govern-

ment of Prime Minister Robert
Menzies, whose ward New Guinea
is.

This is understandable. New
Guinea is the preserve of British,
U.S., Canadian and Australian
monopoly interests which are
sowing the wind in the territory
heedless of the whirlwind they
are now reaping in their other
colonial preserves.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — DECEMBER 25, 1953 — PAGE 9

sao

and other

girs