The Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-03-26, Page 48•
Wingham volunteers active in the Wingham Branch of the Canadian Cancer Society are, left
to right, George Michie, treasurer and commemoration chairman; Doris McCall, rural
campaign chairman; and Barry Reid, president. Absent for photo were: Don Kennedy, past
president; Jack Gillespie, vice-president; Margaret Mann, secretary; Jim McCarthy,
urban campaign chairman and Bill Keil, urban campaign vice-chairman; Carol Hamilton,
education; Dr. W. Wong, medical advisor; Mary McLaughlin and Margaret Mundell,
patient services; Norm Welwood, PD&N; Bill Matisz, publicity and Mr. and Mrs. L.
Montgomery, transportation. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan)
Cancer facts for men..
• from page 16.
urinating. Your urine may dribble instead
of flowing freely, or it may contain blood.
Another sign of cancer of the prostate may
be pain during ejaculation.
What You Can Do: Your doctor should
give you a digital examination during your
periodic health examination. For men over
60, this is most important, especially as you
could be developing a growth in the prostate
without any symptoms showing. But it can
be detected by your doctor's examination.
TERUCIRAFteLNCE114
Contrary to popular belief, contracting
cancer of the testicles does not mean you
will lose your "manhood". The first sign
could be a hard lump on a testicle. Other in-
dications may be a heavy feeling in a testi-
cle, or a sudden filling of the scrotum with
fluid or blood.
What You Can Do: Examine yourself
regularly by gently rolling your testicle
between your thumb and fingers. Check for
any thickening or lump, however small. A
physical check is necessary, because often
the lump that develops on the testicle is
painless. Don't delay seeing your doctor. If
an operation is required, remember, you
can have a perfectly healthy and reproduc-
tive sexual relationship, with one testicle.
SKIN CANCER:
This is the most common of all cancers.
In Canada about 16,590 new cases are
detected each year; most of these men and
women are cured. There are three types of
skin cancer: basal cell, squamous cell, and
the rarer (around 5 percent of the total)
melanoma. Basal and squamous cell
cancers generally show up either as a pale,
wax -like, pearly nodule that may eventually
grow larger and crust. Sometimes, these
two cancers appear as a red, scaly, sharply
outlined patch. Melanoma, on the other
hand, often begins as a mole -like growth,
which may become itchy. Usually, the mole
is dark brown, but may be mixed with areas
of white, pink, blue or grey. It may change
shape, grow larger or even change color. If
you see any of these signs, see your doctor
as soon as possible.
What You Can Do: Skin cancer is most
often caused by over-exposure to the sun.
Those whose jobs are outdoors such as con-
struction, fishing, and agricultural work
should keep as much of their body covered
as possible and wear a wide -brimmed hat.
Fair -skinned people are the most vulnerable
to this cancer and should take particular_
care. Those who can't avoid the sun : or just
like to sunbathe - should ask their doctors or
pharmacists to advise them on the best pro-
tective screen against the sun's rays.
SOME GOOD ADVICE:
There's nothing sissy about seeing your
doctor for a regular „examination. You'll,
know you're in prime condition if your doc-
tor give you a blean bill of health. In many
cases, your doctor can discover a potential
cancer long before you even begin to ex-
perience any symptoms. With early treat-
ment, your chances of faster. recovery are
much better.
TREATING CANCER: •
Today, there are several options:
surgery, chemotherapy (the use of anti-
cancer drugs), radiotherapy (the cancer
cells are bombarded with rays that kill them
causing minimal harm to surrounding
areas) or a combination. Both
chemotherapy and radiotherapy may be us-
ed without you being, hospitalized. It is im-
possible to generalize on which course of ac-
tion your doctor will advise; he or she will
make decisions based on what will give you
personally, the best possible chance of
recovery.
There are no miracle cures' yet. But
thanks to people like Terry Fox and others,
millions of dollars are being spent on
research, to find better ways to beat the
disease.
HOPE Page 17 4.
Ontario Foundation....
• from page 16.
Other landmark research supported by
the Foundation in Ontario *Wed the use
of mouse models at the On,tario Cance_ In-
stitute to develop an understanding of nor-
mal bone -marrow cells: that researchset
the stage for a greater understanding of the
human blood system and led, eventually, to
bone -marrow `transplantation and suc-
cessful
uo-cessful management of certain forms of
leukemia.
At the London Clinic, research led to the
growing of cancer cells in a spheroid form -
a procedure which formed the basis of a
model now used throughout the world to
study the growth of cancer cells. At the
Hamilton Clinic, research teanis found out
how to use electrons to treat mycosis
fungoides - a bizarre form of cancer that ap-
pears widely on the surface of the body.
As the Foundation entered its 41st year,
researchers within its organization were us-
ing CT scanners to refine diagnosis, to
outline tumors and to measure the depth of
radiation dosage throughout the body. They
were probing .the use of ultrasound as a tool
to diagnose cancer of the breast without risk
to the patient. As they had been doing for
four decades, they continued to explore new
ways of fighting cancer.
The first , decade of the Foundation's
history was one of rapid growth. In May
1948, a regional treatment centre was open-
ed at the General Hospital of Port Arthur to
serve Northwestern Ontario. The Ontario
Cancer Foundation Thunder Bay Clinic
would save patients trips of up to 24 hours
on trains to reach treatment in the south.
In 1949, the Foundation assumed complete
responsibility for the administration and
financing of the treatment centre in
Hamilton General Hospital and prepared to
move the Ontario Cancer Foundation
Hamilton Clinic into quarters in the new
wing of the hospital.
Early in November 1951, the first com-
mercial cobalt -60 beam therapy unit (the
"cobalt bomb") in the world was installed in
the London Clinic of the Ontario Cancer
ow ion iciorta-hiospi-tal 5Yhe-firat
patient ever to receive this new form of
radioactivity was treated at the London unit
and became the first of many thousands of
cancer patients to be helped by 'this power-
ful tool.
In 1952, the tumor clinic at the Ottawa
Civic Hospital was moved to a new wing of
the hospital and became another Ontario
Cancer Foundation Clinic.
In 1954, London Clinic was moved to a new
wing of Victoria Hospital. On June 1 of the
same year, the Windsor Clinic joined the
network of regional treatment centres and,
later that year, a rotational cobalt -beam
therapy unit, the first of that type in the na-
tion, went into operation in the. Windsor
Clinic.
The first decade ofthe Foundation was not
without its trials and, on occaison, tragedy.
In January 1949, Dr. Gordon Richards, the
Foundation's first chief, died of leukemia
related to his long exposure to radiation in
his practice. Little was known then about
modern techniques of radiation protection.
An important event in the life of the nation
took place in 1949, when the National Cancer
Institute of Canada (NCIC) was incor-
porated to support research throughout the
country. The NCIC took under its wings
some of the research projects the Founda-
tion had been funding and since then financ-
ed fundamental work in cancer research in
co-operation with the Ontario Cancer Foun-
dation.
The Ontario Cancer Foundation had taken
on the tasks of providing cancer drugs for
the needy, of underwriting transportation
for the needy, of supporting certain
diagnostic testing and of administering
treatment using radiation and
chemotherapy. On April 18, 1956, the Foun-
dation also .assumed the duty of providing
temporary housing for patients who had to
travel some distance for treatment. On that
day, the Foundation opened its first hostel in
a house about a block from the Ontario
Cancer Foundation Hamilton Clinic. Here,
patients who did not need nursing care could
live while receiving treatment at the
hospital-based clinic. By saving both
hospital space and travel, these hostels, now
spread across the province at various cen-
tres, have proven highly cost effective. The
development of these hostels would not have
been possible without the help of the Cana-
dian Cancer Society Ontario Division.
The Foundation agreed to pay the
operating costs of these hostels while the
Society would buy, renovate and furnish the
hostels and would occupy those parts of the
hostel not used as living quarters for pa-
tients.
PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL
Before 1958, cancer research in Toronto
was carried out at several hospitals and at
the University of Toronto under the control '
of those institutions but funded, in part, by
grants from the Foundation.
In 1958, construction the Ontario Cancer a
Institute on Sherbourne Street was com-
pleted. Treatment had already begun at this
building on an outpatient basis in 1957 and
the first patient was admitted to a hospital
bed there in May 1958. The Institute is an.
autonomous organization which contains a
wide range of radiotherapeutic and other
•
equipment. It had 87 beds for cancer pa-
tients and two floors for research.
In addition, the Institute had its own
hospital. During her visit to Canada in the
'summer of 4958, Her Royal Highness the
Princess Margaret agreed that the new
facility should bear her name and it became
the Princess Margaret off spitaL
In .October, Premier Leslie Frost opened
an annex to the Princess Margaret Hospital,
which would become a hostel for am- •
bulatory'patients. This hostel, now known as
the Princess Margaret Hospital Lodge, was
planned by a joint committee of the Society
and the Foundation, but built by the Ontario
Division of the Canadian Cancer Society.
One of the services provided here was a
voice rehabilitation centre, sponsored by
the Foundation and staffed by the clinical
departments of the Faculty of Medicine of
the University of Toronto. A teacher in •
-
structed patients, who had lost their voice
boxes to cancer, to communicate using
esophageal speech. This course was the first
of the many rehabilitation services to be in-
stalled in the hostel.
As of 1960, the Foundation was operating
its six regional treatment centres and was
funding 12 follow-up and consultative clinics
in Ontario. The network of treatment and
diagnostic centres in Ontario in 1960
represented a great advance from the
unorganized collection of cancer treatment
facilities, which e had existed only two
decades before. Also research activities had
undergone an unprecedented
transformation during the year since the
Foundation had been established.
In addition, the social services of the pro -
Turn to page 20 •
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