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It is undeniable that fear is a very potent influence in
discouraging people from seeking medical advice but if there is
one thing which has been proved to the expert's satisfaction it is
that, given certain conditions, cancer is a curable disease. Another
important circumstance which militates against early diagnosis is
the absence of pain or serious symptom until the disease has
reached a stage at which the benefit of treatment becomes
problematical. The World Health Organisation has estimated
that three-quarters of all cancer deaths could be prevented if
diagnosed early enough. Time is the most important factor and
public education in this field would appear to be well within the
province of local authorities.
Childhood Cancers—Survey—Co-operation with Dr. Alice
Stewart of the Department of Social Medicine, Oxford University,
who is undertaking investigations into deaths from cancer in childhood,
was continued during the current year.
Notifications are received of all such deaths in the Greenwich
area and, after suitable approach and preparation, the parents—if
they are willing—are visited by a Medical Officer who completes
a comprehensive history of the case which includes a penetrating
enquiry into the family background. A similar procedure is
followed in respect of an appropriately selected control child.
Gradually facts are being amassed from these anamneses which,
we hope, will eventually indicate methods of prevention. Although
the picture is far from complete, there is some evidence that certain
children are more likely than others to develop one of the malignant
diseases and it has been established that abdominal X-ray of the
pregnant woman should be avoided wherever possible.
Lung Cancer.—Throughout the country in recent years there
has been a marked rise in the incidence of cancer of the lung and
the following table has been included in order that the trend in
this Borough may be studied:—