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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1983-03-30, Page 40Executive members of the Goderich Branch of the Canadian Caincer Society are, left to right, Howard Aitken, publicity; Mel Farnsworth, rural campaign chairman; Lois McGIH, education chairman and Argyle Lockhart, urban campaign chairman. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan) Pamphlet contest held Grade 6, 7 and 8 students in 30 Huron County schools participated in a pamphlet contest on smoking awareness sponsored by the Huron County Unit of the Canadian Cancer Society during National Non - Smoking Week January 24- 29. The pamphlet contest concluded March 11 and the entries were then sent to the Ontario Division for preliminary judging March 24. Prizes will be awarded to the overall county winners and entries will be displayed at the various daffodil teas in the county. Huron County Unit Education Chairman Bar- bara Howson of Blyth said students were encouraged to research their pamphlets by using the kits made available to their schools by the Cancer Society. The contest also provided the Society with a chance to get the kids' ideas about smoking, she said. Mentally handicapped students in special schools across the county par- ticipated in a poster contest sponsored by the Huron Unit at the same time as the pamphlet contest. Society does not support heroin as pain reliever Back in the summer of 1 1, the Canadian Cancer Society rejected a request to join a group lobbying for the legal acceptance of heroin as a pain reliever for ter- minally ill cancer patients. The Society's position was that a review of existing information on heroin did not support its use over other already available legal drugs such as morphine. Unfortunately, the Society's standwas quoted out of context by a physician writing for The Globe and Mail. ("The Doctor Game", April 15, 1982). This resulted in numerous letters and phone calls from members of an irate public insisting on a reversal of the Society's position. For your information, a further literature search and a study conducted by the Sloan Kettering Institute have failed to turn up any new evidence for the use of heroin. If administered properly, alone and -or in combination with other drugs, morphine is as ef- fective as heroin. It is also less addictive. It is in- teresting that the World Health Organization is speaking out against the legalization of heroin because of the potential risk of robberies and attacks on pharmacists by addicts and illicit drug dealers. At its most recent meeting, Ontario Division's Medical Advisory Committee agreed not to change its current position until new scientific evidence warrants such a change. We need you now more than ever. ri Today's cancer researc .1 concerns early etection Today's cancer research is concerned with how cancer occurs and its prevention, early detection and treat- ment. Cancer is a condition in which body cells grow abnor- mally, often producing a tumor. Details of the way this happens are not suffi- ciently understood. It does seem that the body loses safeguards so that the cancer cells can't be con- trolled in the usual ways that would stop their growth. This change is believed to be due to an alteration in the genes which control growth. Genes 'are microscopic com- ponents of cells and are in- herited when cells multiply. To produce a tumor, only a single cell need suffer change in a gene controlling its growth for abnormal multiplication and growth to occur. The cell then has an advantage over normal counterparts in the surroun- ding tissue. How this hap- pens is one major area of cancer research today.' Certain chemicals, ultra- violet light, radiation, cigarette smoking, exposure to asbestos and other par- ticles have been shown to cause cancer. Several fac- tors in our diet are associated with cancer, and some viruses seem able to damage or alter genes to cause cancer in experimen- tal animals. Herpes virus has been linked to some cancers. One kind of herpes virus seems to be associated with cancers that occur at the back of the nasal cavity, another to cancer of the cer- vix (neck) of the womb, yet another herpes virus has been linked to cancers in the lymph system. Research is being conducted to discover how viruses, chemicals and other agents lead tocancer in human beings. Cancer research has ad- vanced beyond looking at tumors in animals in a laboratory. Major areas of research include cancer - related factors in the en- vironment (epidemiology), the identification and control of such factors (prevention) and the detection of cancers and their treatment. Cell biology and genetics are also areas of intensive research. Causes of cancer The study of the distribu- tion of disease and factors that are connected with its appearance in a population is called epidemiology. One of the major contributions of epidemiology in the 1950's was the discovery that peo- ple who were smokers are more likely to die from lung cancer than are non- smokers. In similar studies, researchers have found that factors in our diet are associated with the rate of cancer in the population. The amount of fat eaten has been related to colon cancer and to breast cancer. Exposure to certain chemicals has also been shown to be related to the appearance of certain kinds of cancer. For exam- ple, exposure to. some chemicals and asbestos at work increases the risk of cancers of the lung. So far, a nurnber of possi- ble carcinogens (cancer causers) have been iden- tified by this kind,of resear- ch. Many agents which have been proven to be causing cancers are controlled by government regulation — tobacco is an outstanding ex- ception. Laboratory research follow-up of epidemiology studies is often difficult and expensive. Tests in laboratory animals (mice, rats, guinea pigs and monkeys) can take years. However, such research is important to an understanding of how cancer happens and what agents do to cells to cause cancer. This research in turn will provide a less expensive, more rapid method of discovering car- cinogens in our environ- ment. Detection of cancer Detection of cancer is another important area of research. Two principal. goals in the detection of cancer are: 1) To detect reliably and early the ex- istence and type of cancer; and 2) To accurately locate the tumor or tumors. The earlier a cancer is detected, the better are the chances for successful treatment. Early detection tests in- clude both physical and biological methods. One goal of all such methods is that they cause as little „distur- bance as possible to the pa- tient: One new development of the physics laboratory uses a method called ultra- sound detection which is similar to sonar underwater detection. Ultrasound waves obtain a "picture" of body tissues without any side ef- fects. They are being in- vestigated to see if they can be used as a simple, quick diagnostic procedure for cer- tain cancers such as breast cancer. New x-ray machines are also being developed to more safely and precisely identify and localize tumors in all parts of the body. Mam- mography, using low dose x- rays, is currently being evaluated in Canada as a step in reducing deaths from breast cancer. A different approach has been through the use of an x-ray in- strument coupled to a com- puter to allow the con- struction of a detailed image of a slice through any part of the body. Such instruments are called CAT scanners. They are most useful in iden- tifying the extent of the mass, rather than what it is. A British scientist and an American scientist recently shared. the Nobel Prize for this contribution to medicine. Biological tools also exist for the detection of cancers. Since cancer cells are not normal, many scientists are using the ability of the im- mune system to recognize abnormal or foreign substances to devise methods of early detection and identification of cancers. In the 1960's, Dr. Freedman and Dr. Gold of Montreal developed a blood test which is used to check upon patients who have had cancer of the colon and rec- tum. This test detects the level of a substance called CEA (carcinoembryonic an- tigen) in the blood. Although it is not sensitive enough to be used as a screening device for colon cancer, it is extensively used for early detection of recurring in- testinal cancer. Similar tests are being developed to assist in the early detection of lung and other types of cancer as well as in the identification of different types of leukemia. In addition, direct biological and chemical tests of cells from biopsy (minor surgery) are being developed to aid in the diagnosis and management of cancer. Treatment of cancer The treatment of cancer represents a major co- operative effort between research and medicine. Statistics show remarkable successes over the years. For instance, in 1956 only 10 percent of children diagnos- ed as having acute lym- phocytic leukemia could ex- pect to survive for two years. By 1976, 90 percent had that expectation. This and other improvements are the result of extensive research follow- ed by lengthy and thorough clinical trials '(the scientific testing of the effects of new methods of treatment on pa- tients). 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