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47.
Radium treatment has entirely replaced surgery in
cancer of the tongue and in cancer of the mouth and
throat it is the method of choice. The results in cancer
of the neck of the womb are equal to those of operation
but, even so, less than 40 per cent. of the cases treated
either surgically or by radium are cured. The standard
taken for cure is that the patient survives five years or
more. Many of the patients unfortunately apply for
treatment too late and are unsuitable for cure, either by
operation or radium so that actually only about 20 out
of every hundred cases applying for treatment, or one in
five, are curable.
This shows the great need for patients seeking treatment
as soon as possible and for early diagnosis.
Radium is also used in malignant disease of the
breast and rectum but up to the present time operative
treatment has been more successful. It has not been so
extensively employed in cancer of other organs such as
the stomach and bowel.
Radium treatment is frequently supplemented by
X-rays and it is often employed four to six weeks before
the operation. Tt is valuable in relieving pain and other
distressing symptoms of the advanced disease. With more
radium available and with further experience its sphere
of usefulness is certain to be considerably extended.
Puerperal Pyrexia—Puerperal Pyrexia is defined in
the Public Health (Notification of Puerperal Fever and
Puerperal Pyrexia) Regulations 1926, as " any febrile
condition, other than a condition which is required to be
notified under the Infectious Diseases (Notification) Acts,
occurring in a woman within twenty-one days after childbirth
or miscarriage in which a temperature of 100.4
Fahrenheit (38° centigrade) or more has been sustained
during a period ol twenty-four hours or has recurred
during that period."