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Show by Kirk Terry "We believe it realistic goal for Utah to attempt to be the first state in the nation to eliminate deaths from cancer of the cervix by 1976." This is the informed opinion of Dr. Charles R. Smart, associate professor of surgery, University of Utah and director of the Intermountain Regional Tumor carcinamas (cancer at an early stage), but were found through the use of Pap smear tests, which allow diagnosis "anywhere from 3 to 10 years before cancer becomes a serious matter," Dr. Smart continued. "In this early stage, cancer of the cervix can generally be cured by a relatively simple surgical Registry, as the Virginia Whitney Project entered its fourth year. The Virginia Whitney Project procedure." of the Utah is a Division of the American Cancer Society is a free program of clinics directed at the education of the public and detection of cancer in Utah. It is named for Mrs. Virginia Whitney, a Utah woman who succumbed to cancer after a 17 year struggle with this disease. During her life, however, she served as an inspiration to many that one may live a full and effective life despite such an afflication. The Project has received an Award of Merit from the National Headquarters of the American Cancer Society, and inquiries concerning this program have been received from many parts of the nation. This project was brought about largely by the initiative and dedication of a close friend of Mrs. Whitney, Mrs. Barbara Prince. She has continued to give this effort the unflagging support and uninterrupted interest, not only in the concept of the clinics but in their conduct and results. More than 8,000 women have been examined for signs of breast and uterine cancer (cancer of the cervix) during the first two years of the project. The Utah Division of the ACS and Utah physicians have set a goal to eliminate deaths from cancer of the cervix, "While 100 attainment of our goal may not be reached by 197 6, it can be very nearly reached if we can continue to survey women throughout the state," Dr. Smart said. "We are f 1 1 1 I 3 I I f I I f I 1 setting a companion goal that every woman over 20 have a Pap smear test annually." 1 I Dr. Smart reported that doctors at the free clinics have 1 j! been discovering approximately j I one cancer for every 100 ! examined, or about 80 women with signs of cancer in tests to date. "Nearly all cases where "i i s si it was cancer was discovered, j 1 ! l j ( Li previously unsuspected and was found at an extremely early stage," the doctor said. All cancers of the cervix discovered were in-sit- u Data from the Utah State Cancer Registry indicates only 14 deaths from 1,163 patients with or a cure rate carcinoma of better than 98. "This means that today the overwhelming majority of cases of cancer of the cervix are diagnosed early and nearly all curable," Dr. Smart said. "At the present time, we are diagnosing about 175 cancers of the cervix each year." Dr. Smart pointed out that breast cancer ranks as the most frequent cancer diagnosed in Utah, even disregarding sex. "In in-sit- on June 24 and provided funds for another year of free cancer clinics in rural areas of the state. A volunteer was stationed at designated par three holes, and for a dollar contribution the golfer would try to drive his golf ball within a ten foot radius of the pin - when he succeeded, he would win three golf balls. Thus, $15,000 was raised of which $11,150 has been spent in conducting the dinics, $2,500 for fixed equipment and $8,600 for supplies. The Virginia Whitney Program was the recipient recently of a $5,000 gift from the Friendship Inns presented by Richard J. Williams, president of the organization which represents over 900 motor hotel subscribers across the nation. Cancer-Detectio- n -- by accepting Mr. Williams's check, Dr. W. Knox Fitzpatrick, of the free mobile units of the Utah Division of the American Cancer Society, said that this welcome contribution makes it possible to step up the efforts of this important phase of by a woman ACS work. Plans are being every month and yearly formed, he said, for a clinic to be held at West High School on October 28. This will be the initial step in a widespread effort to appeal to all women of urban Salt Lake City. As i n the other Virginia Whitney Clinics, Dr. Fitzpatrick said, the West High School clinic will offer each woman age 20 or over a free cancer survey which includes a Pap smear test. This painless test is a sure method of detecting cancer of the uterus at an early stage when it can be cured. Each woman receives the examination which concentrates on detecting any of cancer's seven warning signals. Films on uterine addition to our goal of eliminating deaths from cancer of the cervix, breast cancer can also be greatly diminished self-examinati- examinations by a physician. Statistics indicate that the percentage of early diagnosed cancers are directly related to the age of the patients. "Older people are not going for annual checkups as often as young people, which makes it doubly important for older women to receive Pap smear tests yearly," Dr. Smart said. T he free clinics are advertised through the media and through local organizations and clubs. They have been held in 18 different sessions in the last three years in Utah. The clinics are conducted entirely by volunteer personnel: 111 physicians, 55 being from the area involved, complimented by 56 traveling physicians from Salt Lake City. Some 211 volunteer nurses and 160 lay volunteers also helped to make these clinics possible. As a result each examination costs the Virginia Whitney Fund approximately $1 .20. Funds to support this project have come from voluntary contributions to the Whitney Fund and through the Virginia Whitney Golf competition held one weekend each summer. Three of these golfing events have been held to date. The fourth annual Virginia Whitney Memorial Golf contest played on more than 50 courses throughout the state In cancer control and breast are shown to those attending the roving clinics, and informative pamphlets are distributed. Dr. Fitzpatrick noted that the clinics were highly valuable as a means of detecting warning signals, but that women self-examinati- requiring follow-u- p treatment are referred to their own physicians. It should be noted that the clinics diagnose cancer and are not meant to take the place of the private family physician. He cited cases of unsuspected malignancies and told of letters of gratitude received from women whose lives have been saved as a result of attending the dinics. The results of the clinics can be dividied into the major three areas of concern of the ACS: Service, Research and Education. Under Service, several lives have already been saved by virtue of cancers detected at an early stage. Approximately 2 of the women examined had lesions suspicious of cancer. Another 10 had a disease or condition found that could be cured by medical or surgical means. In the area of Research, the clinics have helped to point out the specific problems in the patterns of cancer and medical practice in the State of Utah. As an exmaple of this, it was found of the patients that while 1 attending the clinics had never had a physical examination before, a full 12 had never had a Pap smear before. Twenty-fiv- e per cent of the women stated that they had not had a physical examination for three years but 37 had not had a Pap smear test for three years. This indicates that the Pap smear is not always being included in a physical examination and a effort must be made to show both doctors and patients the necessity of this examination if cervical cancer is to be detected early. In the future, the clinics should be broadened to include screening for cancer of the colon and rectum, lung and prostate, the other three sites of most two-pronge- d importance in terms of prevalence and cause of death in Utah. Screening methods have become available for these cancers that can be carried out at sufficiently low cost as to make them practical and rewarding. "The State of Utah enjoys the lowest annual death rate from cancer of 99 per 100,000 population, second lowest only to Alaska in the 50 states. At the same time, Utah has one of, if not the most effective mechanisms for reporting of cancer patients in the country, as the home of the Rocky Mountain States Cooperative Tumor Registry. With this background and with the continued efforts of the Utah Chapter of the American Cancer Society and particularly the Virginia Whitney Cancer Detection Project, cancer could be reduced to the lowest possible level at our present state of knowledge. The project could thus serve as a model to the rest of the country to help overcome cancer, the second most deadly disease in the country today," Dr. Fitzpatrick said in an address delivered at the American Cancer Society's Crusade and Education Conference held at the Hotel Utah last spring. Register & Vote Primary Election: Sept. 12 General Election: Nov. 7 |