Show FROM i I li ONE CELL U 1 Hopeful side of cancer By Marie L Godfrey Uintah Unit President American Cancer Society In the early few cancer patients had any hope of long- long term survival In the less than one five were alive at least five years after treatment In the it was one in Now the ratio is one in With earlier diagnosis and treatment half of those who get cancer could and should be saved Research is constantly improving improving improving im im- im- im proving the three main mam forms of cancer treatment modern surgery gets gels better results with less radical operations than in inthe inthe inthe the past radiation therapy has fewer side effects and chemotherapy attacks some advanced cancers and prevents tumors from recurring in many cases Combined Treatment For some cancers 1 two 10 0 o 0 or more kinds of therapy give the patient the best chance for cure tumor a formerly fatal childhood cancer of the kidney is being cured in 80 to 90 percent ot of cases through combined surgery radia radiation lion and chemotherapy Drugs hold Promise Chemotherapy is a highly promising field of cancer treatment Some 50 drugs are arc in use LLe and another are under understudy study Many are employed following surgery or radiation to prevent recurrence of breast bone and other cancers Eleven tumors formerly considered incurable are now controlled by drugs acute leukemia in children advanced malignant melanoma Burkitts Burkitt's lymphoma lymphoma lymphoma lym lym- phoma Ewings Ewing's sarcoma lymphoma lymphoma lym lym- phoma Hodgkins Hodgkin's disease testicular carcinoma and tumor turner An outstanding example of successful chemotherapy is the advanced treatment for Hodgkin's Hodgkins disease is a lymph cancer found in young adults In less than 10 years ears the five year survival rate rose from 6 68 m to 90 percent for early cases and JO 10 to 70 percent for advanced cases castS Hope for the Future One of the newest and most hopeful developments in cancer therapy is the transfusion of blood components platelets to prevent hemorrhaging and white cells to treat infection Ultrasound can often pinpoint tumors deep in the body to allow proper radiation dosage Im- Im holds out hope of harnessing the body's own fighting disease immune system to combat cancer There is every reason to believe that man will continue to learn new lew ways to prevent and combat cancerI cancer I would be happy to respond in this column to specific specific- questions readers may nay have Please direct your questions to tome tome tome me at 9 ON N 1150 W. W or by phone |