Progress in the Treatment of Cancer

Our plain-English summary of Progress in the Treatment of Cancer, by A. Ochsner (1950).

The study

• Author: A. Ochsner
• Published: Journal of the Kansas Medical Society p.56-58 August (Supplement) (1950)
• Type of article: Journal article
• Our copy: from Johns-Manville's own medical library. The article is still under copyright, so we describe it here rather than post it.

In plain English

This 1950 article is the text of an address by the author, on behalf of the American Cancer Society, about progress in cancer treatment. It is not a research study, reports no new data, and does not mention asbestos or any asbestos-related disease. The author stated that, in the experience of cancer detection clinics, approximately one and a half per cent of well people with no symptoms had an unsuspected cancer, and approximately 15 per cent had a precancerous condition. The author described advances in surgery and postoperative recovery care, and said radioactive iodine may help in thyroid cancer that is actively functioning. The author also mentioned hormone treatment of prostate cancer and the palliative response of acute leukemia to anti-folic acid substances. The author noted that none of the new chemical agents then appeared curative. The author said 25 per cent of the Society's funds went to research, and argued against the Society joining federated fund raising. The author concluded that early detection and education were essential and that research ultimately offers the real solution.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Address or opinion article (speech text) on cancer treatment and American Cancer Society activities; not a research study
• Main results:
  • The author stated, citing the experience of detection clinics and not data from this article, that approximately one and a half per cent of well people with no symptoms had an unsuspected cancer
  • The author stated that approximately 15 per cent of individuals examined had a precancerous condition
  • The author described advances in surgery and the establishment of a postoperative recovery division at the author's institution
  • The author said cancer of the thyroid is the one type of cancer which may be amenable to radioactive isotope therapy
  • The author mentioned reports heard that day of patients with cancer of the prostate treated by hormones
  • The author said acute leukemia had responded, at least in a palliative way, to some anti-folic acid substances, but that none of the new chemical agents apparently were curative
  • The author said 25 per cent of all funds collected by the American Cancer Society were allocated to research
  • The author argued that it would be detrimental for the Society to participate in federated fund raising
• The authors' conclusion: The author concluded that most cancers can be cured if detected early, that education is needed so patients seek examination, and that research ultimately offers the real solution

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Palliative Care.

Browse return to medical research.