| Show School Children Hit Nit Hard by Cancer Local Doctor Says Cancer the leading cause of death from disease among school children It is Is However an American Cancer Cancer Can Can- Cancer Society medical director believes greater education among parents and broader application by physicians of oi knowledge now possessed could cut down the growing number of deaths from cancer cancer cancer can can- In children Dr Rodney Rutt reports that last Jast year some children under the age of ot 16 died of cancer From 1934 to 1959 he ho said deaths from cancer in children Increased fro 52 for each thousand population to 81 Dr Rutt said the Increase Is due in part to the survival of many children who might have died from some other disease such as smallpox etc not so long ago A number of childrens children's diseases other than cancer have been controlled he explained The physician pointed out that one of the problems of dealing with cancer in chil chil- children children dren is the unhappy fact that too many childhood tu tumors tumors tumors tu- tu mors are arc treated too late He said that an Increasing number of five ten and year ty-year and even lifetime survivals show that treatment treatment treatment treat treat- ment when started sufficiently early can often preserve preserve preserve pre pre- serve life Can the survival rate be- be Increased Dr Rutt says It can Education can help He says that a great many parents parents parents par par- arc are no longer ignorant of the fact that children as aswell aswell aswell well as adults may have can can- But too often today we hear he added the remark I 1 I didn't know my child could have cancer If more parents realized that children children children chil chil- dren may have cancer just as adults do and acted promptly prompt prompt- ly In seeking medical advice more children could be saved Dr Rutt said that improved ed techniques in radiology and surgery offer a child with cancer new opportunities for survival and possible cure cancer of the forming blood-forming tissues is pis the most critical cancer problem among children according to the doctor In 1963 It will cause about 2300 deaths among among among am am- ong children one to 14 But nut there Is hope Dr Rutt said Newly developed drugs make It possible to extend extend extend ex ex- tend the lives of many lu lu- lu kemia patients from months to years ears of useful life There is growing evidence linking viruses as a possible cause of leukemia If this Is proved proved proVo ed cd then a vaccine may be de Dr Rutt said that the American American Am Am- Cancer Society Is the leading voluntary health agency agency ag ago ency fighting leukemia and other childhood cancers Urging Urging ing the public to support the Society's April Crusade he lie said there can be no slackening slackening slack slack- ening of effort now The Themore Themore Themore more funds that are made available the sooner the problem problem pro pro- blem of cancer in children will willbe willbe be solved |
