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Home My WebLink AboutClinton News-Record, 1984-03-28, Page 44HOPE page 20 Ontario Foundation builds world reputation... * from page 17 • nybrook Medical Centre .and plans to ex- vince were being made available to Cancer pan4 its other regional treatment centres. Patte-10,,..„In January : 190, .. the. Cost or In addition, the Foundation . is exploring, treating lioSpitaWei(—Onttei4 • reedying---Vitilk-Ilic-Ontario-Caneer Institute, - the radiotherapy 'at-the-Fonndationla-regional .development -of a system.. of commouity treattnent-ceuttevhegaa-Whe-covered,by.Hcancer*riltSecrosuGuteOn„ • . the Ontario Hospital Services Commission. The 1980s present tbartaindation,sitb.a To an increasing degree through the Foun- longlist of problems: soiaearethe. familiar dation's transportation program, its hostels ones of shortages of Spate, of funds and of and regional treatment centres covering the professionals such as radiation and medical province, cancer treatment now was oncologists. It is hoped that Programs of available across Ontario. fellowships and traineeships for physicists FREPARWG. FOR will encourage .young scientists to. follow in THE FUTURE the footsteps of Dr. Harold .Johns (one of the In May 1962__the_Foundation_drew _on its designers of the "cobalt bomb") and his considerable expertise and experience to distinguished colleagues. • • present a brief to a Royal Commission on In the technical areas, the Foundation Health Services. It recommended an in- faces mounting costs and limited access of crease in researchgrants by the federal and patients to equipment such as CT scanners. provincial government, a continuation of The Foundation itself has developed a pro - the centralization of cancer treatment ser- posal to obtain a computerized information vices, a growth of cancer hostels and an in- system to serve both the clinics and the On - creased output of -radiotherapists in the pro- vince's medical schools in concert with the Ontari Cancer Insitute and the Founda- tion's clinics. The brief noted that many "very well trained British radiotherapists" had immigrated to Canada to enter that pro- fession here. Clinical conferences ori cancer of specific sites were begun in 1954 in Windsor and were held annually until 1968 since when they have been held every two years, alter rating with the clinical research con- ferences. On September 13 and 14, 1967, the Foundation held its first clinical cancer research conference at Geneva Park, Lake Couchiching. These conferences quickly became a major forum for the review of cancer treatment and research and so it continues today. In 1970, the responsibility for cancer records, reporting and statistics was transferred from the Cancer Statistics Sec- tion of the Research and Planning Branch of the Ministry of Health, in which these responsibilities had been rested from 1936, -, -to .the Foundation's _head...office.. Dr. A.H., Sellers had been headef the-StatiatiCal unit since 1936, with a break for wartime serVice. He transferred to the Foundation bringing with. him almost 40 years of experience in charting the course of cancer data manage- ment and the influence of various treatments. The Division of Epidemiology and Statistics was established so that the oc- currence of cancer in Ontario could be studied, using the accumulated cancer records acquired by the Foundation over the years. Throughout its history, the Foundation has,sheen supported by the people of Ontario, sometimes with extraordinary generosity. In 1969, the estate of Mrs. Isabella Arlow of 'Toronto bequeathed to the Foundation more than $900,000, the largest bequest received to that time. While the bequest was huge, it was only one of thousands to come frons peo- ple anxious to help in the battle against. cancer. In 1973, chemotherapy as a form of treat- ment had come of age. The Foundation clines were beginning to feel the strains of heavier workloads because of increasing de- mand for chemotherapy and the shortage of radiotherapists. This shortage was, and con- tinues to be,a major problem throughout North America _ . The 1970s marked another period of ex- pansion for the regional treatment centres, with new clinic space added i Kingston, Ot- tawa, Thunder Bay, Toronto And Windsor. In 1977, a block grant of $2 million from the Provincial Lottery funds came as "a shot in the arm" for the Foundation's research programs. In this year, 58 new research projects were added to those already underway in the Ontario Cancer In- stitute, the medical schools and in the clinics. Years of research were beginning to pay off: the 1977 Foundation annual publication stated that 10 cancers were considered curable by the new methods of chemotherapy. Some of the research workers supported by the Foundation had pioneered the development of some of these agents. The year 1978 brought to a close one of the longest careers within the Foundation and the cancer establishment in Ontario. James . Harold Broughton, dubbed "Mister Founda- tion" in the annual publication, retired as its Secretary Treasurer. He had held the post since June 1946, three years after this body's formal beginning. Mr. Broughton is still ac- tive and, working with Dr. A.H. Sellers, is preparing a detailed history of the organiza- tion. The Foundation entered the 1980s with a new clinic, Toronto -Bayview at the Sun - taro Cancer Registry - the key component, which keeps. track of cancer statistics and patients. Other problems concern -the -development -- of surgical and pediatric oncology, the Mr *int of tbeldgbest postiblemplity_oilifte -during active treatment of patients, and the provision of palliative care to patients for whom cure is no longer possible. Apart from all the day-to-day and year-to- year problems of organization, equipment and shortages, the Foundation supports the efforts of the Ontario Division of the Cana- dian Cancer Society to educate the public in. cancer prevention. There are five areas in which—cancer prevention might be concen- trated: cigarette smoking, diet, occupa- tional exposure, alcohol excess, and popula- tion screening to find cancer in preliminary stages. Each one of these areas presents the Foundation with yet another world to con- quer. The past 41 years have brought extraor- dinary changes in the battle against cancer and have brought to Ontario an organization which is a fun partner in the inteniationhl community of cancer specialists. F-w-inost cancer site.s- -_Qutario, the specific death rates are stable (breast, in- testines) or decreasing slightly (cervix, stomach). The mayor exception is lung cancer which continues to increase sharply for both sexes. For males, the age-specific cancer death rates continue to increase for all age groups 50 years, and over. For females, the age-specific cancer death rates have declined in most agQroigtpfrom 1945. The battle is far from over: the enemy is still at least as well armed as the allies. But the Ontario Cancer Foundation has shown it can win victories. And each year, the seven clinics of the Foundation offer treatment and support to 11,000 new patients. , *TIRELESS RESEARCH *PROVISION OF THE LATEST DIAGNOSTIC AND TREATMENT EQUIPMENT *CONSTANT TRAINING IN NEW TECHNIQUES • PUBLIC EDUCATION *AWARENESS OF LIVING PATTERNS THAT TEND TG INCREASE RISKS OF CANCER *KNOWLEDGE OF "EARLY WARNING SIGNS" *ASSISTANCE TO CANCER PATIENTS Efforts and meaningful results in all these areas constantly renew the Canadian Cancer Society's simple reassurance: "CANCER CAN BE BEATEN". We are pleased to have this opportunity to commend and _ support the work -of the Society and their dedicated staff and volunteers and to solicit your continued support of their work. ALEXANDRA MARINE & GENERAL HOSPITAL, GODERICH H HOSPITAL CLINTON PUBLIC HOSPITAL. SEAFORTH COMMUNITY HOSPITAL SOUTH HURON HOSPITAL, EXETER WI NGHAM & DISTRICT HOSPITAL •