Philip Morris
Semi-Annual Report to the New York City Cancer Committee
Fields
- Area
- GREENWALD,WILLARD
- Type
- REPT, OTHER REPORT
- OUTL, OUTLINE
- Site
- R17
- Request
- Stmn/R1-004
- Stmn/R1-144
- Named Person
- Ariel
- Clemmenssen
- Coleman
- Day, E.
- Johnson
- Kopsch
- Pack
- Patterson
- Pitou
- Robbins, G.F.
- Rorschach
- Sutherland, A.
- Tagnon, H.J.
- Clemmenssen
- Recipient (Organization)
- Ny City Cancer Comm
- Document File
- 1003072849/1003072970/Missing
- Author (Organization)
- Medical Center for Cancer and Allie
- Named Organization
- American Cancer Society
- Associated Press
- Bellevue County Hospital
- Cancer
- Civil Defense
- Comm on Medical Education
- Cornell Univ
- Danish Cancer Registry
- Dept of Public Information
- Fexton Hospital
- Harvard
- James Ewing Society
- Kings County Hospital
- Kips Bay Health Center
- League of Nations
- Medical Records Comm
- Memorial Casualty Comm
- Natl League of Nursing Education
- NCI, Natl Cancer Inst
- Ny City Cancer Comm
- Ny Univ
- Presbyterian Hospital
- Radiumhemmet
- Ski, Sloan-Kettering Inst
- Strang Prevention Clinic
- Univ of Co
- Univ of Ks Hospital
- Utica Memorial Hospital
- Yale Univ
- Alfred P Sloan Foundation
- Associated Press
- Litigation
- Stmn/Produced
- Characteristic
- UNCO, UNCODED LIST
- Master ID
- 1003072897/2915
Related Documents: - Date Loaded
- 05 Jun 1998
- UCSF Legacy ID
- ube38e00
Document Images
SE.NL -ANTNUAL REPORT
TO
THE rMW YORK CITY CANCER COMITTEE
January 1, 1951 - June 30, 1951
NEMORIAL CENTER FOR CANCER AND ALLIED DISEASES

1
I. WMICAL EDUCATION FUND $169,620.00
The New York City Cancer Committee, through its support
of members of the Faculty of Medical Education, has continued to
play a major role in~Memorial Center's education program.
The Underlying Philosophy
Care of the cancer patient as a whole is a guiding
principle of Memorial Center. It involves first treatment through
the cooperative effort of the various special skills assembled.
Secondly, it embodies the realization that cure or control of the
disease is meaningless if the patient is not returned to a useful
and happy existence. Thirdly, it is based upon growing scientific
data which reveal that cancer is accompanic:d by a general disturbance
of bodily function greater than can be understood in terms of the
mere physical presence of a neoplastic grosrth.
From this principle has evolved, at the Memorial Center,
a new program of professional education. The curriculum has been
revised to cut across the old boundaries of didactic training. Men
specialtzing in internal medicine are instructed'in the fundamentals
of surgical procedures. Surgeons and radiation therapists become
familiar wi~h the supportive medical techniques for the cancer patient
and the new tools of chemotherapy. Thus each learns what the others'
specialities have to offer and each is stimulated and encouraged to
call upon the others' skills for the greater benefit of the patient
committed to his care.
Under this new program, rehabilitation is coneidered of major
importance. Dr. Arthur Sutherland, a psychiatrist trained in general
med_c-1ne, has been adaPd to the full-time staff to study the psycho-
locical effects of cancer and. of the radical surgery its treatment
may req:aire. Dr. Suthe-rla:n.d, as part of this long-term study, has
,jiist completed an i.ntensive investigation on the adjustments to a
colcstomy (an artificial bowel opening, inithe abdominal wa.il) of
62 clinic patients. Frcrait.zis studY, he has been able to determine
the basic factors, both physical and. psychol.,)gical, essential for a
good ad~ustr~ent to this al~~tered physic4l state. His preliminary re-
port stresses the neceGsi_t*y of inst:~tuting a program of rehabilitation
~
in these patients before neurotic behavior patterns centering around
the colostomy have a chance to crystallize. There are preliminary indications that by the Rorschacil
test it may be possible to deter-
mine, preoperatively, the patients who will respond badly to a
G
0

2
colostomy and so institute preventive psychiatric treatment in
these cases. In addition to this program of research, Dr.
Sutherland and his co-workers, a clinical psychologist and a
psychiatric social worker, stand by to help the individual
patient in need of psychiatric guidance. Dr. Sutherland's
participation in Memorial's teaching program is made possible
through the New York City Cancer Committee.
Social Service, physical retrainizig, vocational guidance
and recreational therapy are also receiving increased emphasis in
both the teaching and treatment programs. These activities in the
field of rehabilitation reflect the new concept of professional
responsibility - not merely to eradicate the disease but to re-
store the patient to a useful and satisfactory place in 1ii.s home
and community.
Palliation, long accepted in other chronic diseases such
as cardiac and vascular disorders, is becoming increasingly important
in total cancer care. Those patients whose disease is too general-
ized for cure by mechanical eradication have now been brought into
the area of intensive study. Previously deemed of little interest
because capable of little benefit, they now are treated by new
procedures of radiation therapy, radical surgery and chemotherapy.
From this new trend in cancer treatment has come not only relief
of suffering, increased pat!.ent morale, and prolonged useful life
for the individual, but also a more complete understanding on the
part of the staff and the student of the natural history of the
disease and of the problems, psychological and physical, faced
by those of its victims who were formerly classified as hopeless
and sent home to die.
A major factor in the Memorial Center's programof care and
education is the Sloan-Kettering Institute, the research unit. The
close physical proximity of laboratory bench and hospital bedside
has led, as it was intended, to a steadily growing mutual under-
standing between those who strive to employ and perfect the conven-
tional methods of attack and those who seek new weapons against the
diaease.
one such successful cooperative venture was the study
undertaken by the Chemotherapy Service of the Sloan-Kettering In-
st-11,-ute with the cooperation of the Breast Service of the Hospital
to investigate the use of male and female sex hormones in the
treatment of inoperable breast cancer. Under this program the
criteria have been estwblished by which these agents can be used
most effectively. Now the study is being extended to investigate
the comparative effects of newly available hormonal compounds and of
comained radiation therapy in these cases. During the last year a
similar concerted attack against cancer of the rectum and large

3
bowel was initiated which w:lk.ll join the resources of the Gastric
and Rectal Services of the Hospital with those of the Institute.
Last June, the Sloan-Kettering Institute was incorporated
as the Sloan-Kettering Division of Cornell University Medical
College. By this agxec*ment, the s-Faff of the Institute will
acquire full academ:*,c s tand.t.Lg. T:zu3 t:le skills, experience and
facilities developed under our canc-nr re3earch program can be
more effectively used for the tEacLiug of can~lj.datPs for advanced
degrees in the physical and bioiog?.cai sciences.
The Program~
Against this background the program of training for medical
students and graduate students has taken shape. Since a detailed re-
port of our graduate training program was included in Memorial's
annual report to the New York City Cancer Comm:.ttee and since there
have been few changes in its operation, the present report is
centered around our undergraduate training course.
Medical students from New York University, New York
Medical College and Cornell Medical College are offered a special
course on cancer at Memorial Center as a fourth-year elective.
These students come to us in groups numbering not more than fifteen
for periods of one month each. During the past year, eighty-two
medical students have participated in the program.
During the one-mor_.th period, we attempt to give the
students a picture of the natural life history of cancer. Special
emphasis is placed upon the procedures of early detection and
diagnosis since those of the students who become general practi-
tioners will have particular responsibility in this area. A survey
of what surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy can offer in
the various forms and stages of the disease is presented. Fiaally,
the students are grounded in the roles that nuzsing, social service
and psychiatry can play in restoring the patient to maxim,= useful-
ness, prodtrctivity and individual happiness.
Two years ago it was decided that our broad goals for
undergraduate education could best be met throughthe tutorial
system of training. It was felt that only th_rough such a system
could we focus on the patient rather than on the individual disci-
plines which may play a part in his care. In terms of medical edu-
cation,thas was a revolutionary concept. Our results so far under
this system and our response from the individual students have, we
believe, not only ,jsstii'ied our effort but indicated that the system
could be used to advantage in other teaching hospitals.

4
Under our present program, the students are subdivided
into small groups of two or three each. In these groups, they
meet with members of the resident staff for teaching rounds through
the wards every morning and also attend the regular outpatient
clinic sessions of the various services on a rotation schedule.
The rounds with tutors enable the s~udents to see patients before,
during and after treatmenic and to comprehend the problems involved
inithe total management of the individual with cancer.
A member of the Department of Pathology meets with the
students three afternoons a week. At this time, the pathologist
demonstrates and discusses the day's most interesting surgical or
autopsy specimen and so leads the students to an understanding of
the role of pathology in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment
of the cancer patient. The participation of several of our patholo-
gists in these meetings is made possible by the New York City Cancer
Committee.
The entire group meets together for orientation lectures,
service conferences, grand~rounds, clinical pathology conferences
and end result conferences. The students receive special lectures
on~rehabilitation, nursing problems, radiation physics, x-ray diagno-
sis, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and pain control. These formal
discussions are constantly followed up by regular informal consulta-
tions between the tutor and the smaller student groups.
Special stress is laid in this program upon the Admitting
Clinic where patients with cancer first present themselves for
diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, the students visit the Strang
Prevention Clinic where they are shown the procedures of examining
apparently well men and women for possible latent cancer and are
instructed in the use of special diagnostic equipment which can be
employed in private practice. Here they are under the direct super-
vision of Dr. Emerson Day, Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine
at Cornell andDirector of the Strang Clinic. Dr. Day's participation
in this phase of the education program also depends upon the support
of the New York City Cancer Committee.
The activities culminate at the end of each week in a special
conference held every Saturday morning in which one case seen in~the
hosnital is presented for general discussion~. In addition to the
comU.ned groups of students and their tutors, representatives from
the suroical, medical, pathology, pharmacology, radiology and re-
habilitation services atten&. These conferences:are planned to
last two hours, but as a rule the problems raised are sufficiently
stimulating to make the discussions last thirty to sixty minutes
longer than scheduled.
In addition to these meetings with the students, all tutors

meet with representatives of the resident staff and the chairman
of the education committee at monthly dinners. These meetings are
held to discuss problems encountered in the undergrad.uate teaching
program and, through these discussions, to indoctrinate younger
men of our own staff into the philosophy of teaching at Memorial
Center .
Under a new program, planned and instituted this year
and offered during the summer months, a group of medical students,
cor.s9:.st.ing mostly of second-year men from Cornell Medical College,
will serve in the Memcrial Center as members of the cancer nursing
staff. These young men, after a preliminary course of indoctrina+.ion,
either will be giveathe opportunity to work as technical assistants
in the operating room or will be charged with the supervised prepara-
tion of patients for operations and the observation of patients in
the immediate postoperative period. This program is felt to offer
a unique opportunity for young men iatraining to gain first= :a.nd
knowledge of the new tools and procedures involved in supportive
therapy for radical surgery.
In the next academic year, the program for medical
students will be further expanded. At the request of the depart-
ment of Medicine of Cornell University, a series of lectures cle-
siened'to indoctrinate medical students into the clinical as-pects
of c:ncer treatment have been planned. These lectures, to be
gjvc.none hour each week for eleven weeks, will place special
emphaq±s on rehabilitation and palliative therapy of cancer patients.
The siza jects to be covered include: treatment of lymphoma and of
lzu!c=ma.a; managemeut of inoperable cancer of the breast; palliation
of i zopera.b_'_e pelric cancer; construction and care of a colostomy;
ana gonAra'_ rehabilitaticn problems of the cancer patient. PaviPnts
at vaii:oiis 9ts.gAa in thpir treatment will be presented to the class
and the d_scuszlon will focus on these individual cases.
This series of eleven lectures will be offered three
times a year in o:r7er to limit the s_ze of the classes to about
thirty each. The course will be compulsory.
The mPac~?.ers
Nf^re than any other educational method, the tutorial
system dereaas on the of the men c'^os::n to ,Taid;, and in-
si,ru::t. We foel we are pa-,. ;icv.iar.ly fortiuiwce in the caliber of
the younger men ot:' or staff wno lend the_r s~_-i-.ices to the teaching
pt n,-,.~ram. 'Mos a of tlr^m ^c:ne to A4 ,ICcr;al Center early in t;~eir
car. ec,rs and s iiir:ii^d ~n ch u:; di..z i.ug t'.:e:.r perio6s of reside-acy
training. They are not only prot~:cie.a-` inl taei_ in~livi3.u?.1 skills
but thoL"^L2,"riil<J a:vlc3,re of all the ac:ti'.'J.'Gi es of the Center and the
broa,t p.roblez,3 of cancer care, Most of them already have made
major contributions to:the work here.

6
Dr. Guy F. Robbins, for example, came to Memorial first
in 1940 as an assistant resident. He was called into the army in
1942 and served overseas until 1945 when he returned, under a
National Cancer Institute Fellowship, to complete his surgical
trainirg. Now he holds an appointment as surgeon on the Breast
Service, but'his scope of influence spreads far beyond this activi-
ty. Dr. icbbins' genuine friendliness and interest in others have
been instrumental in breaking down the barriers separating the
var:.ous medical disciplines as well as in boosting the morale of
b:is patie-: tc . As a doctor, he feels a personal responsibility for
the overall welfa.re of the patients that extends far beyond the
surgical removal of their disease. This concern, evident in his
day-to-day practice, is further reflected in his studies on the
causes for delay in cancer diagnosis. These seek to define and so
to overcome this grave hazard to the cancer patient. Dr. Robbins'
natural qualities of leadership, which came to light early in his
career hare, made him one of the first to be called upon to serve
as a tutor when the system was initiated. He is now also Secretary
to the Committee on Medical Education. In this capacity he lends
his abundant energy to the overall planning of the program as well
as its execution.
Another of the leaders in Memorial's educational program
is Dr. Henry J. Tagnon. His function in this capacity also is made
FoLs.iblie by the New York City Cancer Committee. Dr. Tagnon appears
com?lt-czly opposite Upersonality to the brisk, genial Dr. Robbins
but rf.hira his quiet, almost reticent, manner lies an equally quick
s.nr: hignlJ eT'ficient intellect. Dr. Tagnon was born in Belgium and
receised his early medical training abroad. After study at Harvard,
he car.ie to Worial in 191+6 as an American Cancer Society Fellow.
Early in his stay here Dr. Tagnon made a survey of the hospital:
wh.fc,h."ravealyd that 65 per cent of all patients admitted to the
wards for w.z.rgPrf suffer°d from some medical illness of such an
ex',Pnt and severit3r that, even in the absence of cancer, their
a&ni ssion to the medical service of a general hospital would have
been just'_-fied, As a result of this survey, a separate department
of generwl med,:c].nE was esyablishcd in the hospital i.n 1947, at which
time he .a.ss^u:ed the hig'rliy impe,rtaat function of supervising the
general mzlical care of cancer patients and. of instructing others
in the mc,ra;;ement of individuals with medical problems who are about
to u:.de.?gc. ;mvjor 4tLgery or other trna:,nce:ats. Dr. '"agnon also holds
an apOVLtnOnt in the S7_oaz-.{n;':tering Institute and has found time
to co-sdur.;; imaortant or;.oinal research. He has made valuable con-
tr:::botions to l~c?r] rc:g2 concerning the clotting of blood and is
no-T emps.SQd in invcst:.ga,tina, the possibility that failure of the
liver to neutralize the female sex horraone may cause the development
of certain forms of cancer in women.
These two men, whose leadership in the fields of both treat-
ment and education has already made itself felt, are representative

7
of the entire group of staff ine!~oers selected as teachers under the
Memorial system. It is through such men that the Memorial philosophy
has d'eveloped and by them~tY:at we feel it can be best interpreted to
young men just beginning their careers.
The Memorial Center now comprises a research unit, a
detection center, two hospitals and a newly completed outpatient
building. As Memorial garorrs, not only in physical size but in
experience, we feel with increasing keenness our responsibility
to draw upon these facilities for the education of those who will
serve the cancer patient here and in other communities.

8
II. NI3RSING EDUCATION FUND $18,420.00
Through the support of the New York City Cancer Committee,
Memorial Center has been able to provide stipends for the members of
the : ac:al:,y of Nu..TMsing Education. The well qualified individuals
t:w.s: suppnrt°d ha.-ve offered to both graduate and undergraduate young
women special train;ng in the skills, techniques, and philosophy
necessary for the cancer nurse.
A. University program in cancer nursing
Offered jointly by Memorial Center and New York
Un;.versity, this course has been completed in 1951 by 24 students,
all of whom are graduate nurses holding positions elsewhere. Three
of these are public health nurses who have come from various visit-
ing nurses associations throughout the country and 21 are institu-
tional nurses from a number of hospitals in Maine, New York, Okla-
homr., and other states. The program is given~in a concentrated
block of 4 to 6 weeks on a full-time, 40-hour-a-week basis with
individual counseling and close supervision.
B. Und.ergrad:aate program in cancer nursing
llur.i_ng the first six months of 1951, a total of
18 studPnts have been ayc:epterl and have successfully completed their
st,z,-;* i-s at riicmorial. T:zf s course is planned to operate over a
lon`er perior: th,:.7 the graduate course, hence it gives the students
an oppor±unity to practice the specialized hechnioues wliich they
learn. The following schools of nursing are represented:
4 weeks - Yale University, New Haven, Conn. 1
8 wezks - FrFsbyterian Hospital, New Yo_k,N.Y. 4
8 wes:I.ts - Utice. Nemor_.al Hosni tal, Utica, N.Y. 7
12 weeks - Faxton Hospital, Utica, N.Y. 6
Total number of students: 18
Scholarship proQ.ram-s in cancer nursi ng
TY`rQP, r;c:-.ciJ.arship progra*os are ciL^ren+ly una.erway
in thP Department of Pi~.:'s i:ih T'iN-e cc::ip_ ize the inEtruction of 18
scaol«:sh+:~~ r.~urses by tne (;nr.ter,s n xs;:i.g starf . These are all
C" t'~e Tu;,sea wrichci~z pos =tions in vuz~in~a ina:ituti~unselsekher.e.
A taouiat_on reveals wiie geog:.,aphical coverage:
1) Sloan ScholarGbi:p Progrram: Throigh the generosity
of the Alfred P. S oan Fourclaion, u number of scholarships

9
have been made available to European and Canadian nurses.
The following began studying at Memorial in January; some,
as indicated, have completed the course:
1 scholarship nurse for 7 months - Canada
1 scholarship nurse for 6 months - Denmark
2 scholarship nurses for 6 months - England
1 scholarship nurse for 7 months - England
2 scholarship narses for 6 months - Norway
3 scholarship nurses for 12 months - Norway
2 scholarship nurses for 6 months - Sweden
12 scholarship nurses
2) Akron Scholarship Program: Three scholarship nurses
from Akron, Ohio, have been studying and obtaining specialized
experience at Memorial since January, 1951. These young women
completed their work here at the end of July.
3) Argentine Scholarship Program: Thirteen scholar-
ship nurses from Argentina have come for a two-year period of
training at the Center. An additional instructor has been
attached to our nursing staff to supervise this phase of our
scholarship program.
D. Participation i~nspecial education programs:
Members of the faculty of Nursing Education have
participated in the following special education programs:
Planning and Public Demonstration of the Memorial
Center Civil Defense First A:d Station:at Kips
Bay Health Center - Miss Pitou, Miss Johnson
Development of Memorial's Casualty Committee and
Civil Defense Program - Miss Pitou, Miss Kopsch
Program for the ScholarShip Nurses at the Plaza Hotel
- Mrs. Patterson, Miss johnson
Week's tour of Vermont hospitals under the auspices of
the American Cancer Society - Mrs. Coleman
National League of Nursing Education~monthly meeting
- Mrs. Colemany Mrs. Patterson

- 10 -
E. Articles Published'
° A Review of Certain Special Nursing Problems
of Patients with Cancer," by N,rs. Patterson. A chapter in Treatment
of Cancer and Allied Diseases, edited by Drs. Pack and Ariel.
F. Programs planned for professional visitors:
Since January 1951, the Nursing Department has
sponsored programs, ranging from one-half to four days, for 65
visitors. The Instructors in this Department plan and execute
these programs, which are geared toward the length of time the
visitor has to spend and the particular interests expressed. These
visits generally include a complete tour of the Center; demonstra-
tions of specialized procedures; visits to the clinics and to the
operating room; and attendance at conferences and lectures.

- 11 -
III. STATISTICS FUND
$11,960.00
Through the support of several members of Memorial's
Department of Statistics, the New York City Cancer Committee has
suostan~ially aided in our statistics program. This work falls
into four main categories, an explanatiomof which follows:
Anticipatory coding of all cancer cases by site:
Memorial's statistical service was set up with a
plan toward the persistent and detailed evaluation of the work being
done at the Center. In this connection there was also instituted
the principle of anticipating basic questions apt to arise. As
rapidly as time and personnel permitted, patient charts dating back
to 1935 were abstracted and processed statistically according to an
anticipatory code. The function of this far-seeing plan is apparent
in the volume of the assistance the Department of Statistics has been
able to give, despite its small staff.
During the first six months of 1951, 1629 cases of cancer
of the breast were coded and 1118 previously coded cases had follow-
up information added to their punch cards. 364 cases of intrinsic
larynx cancer (1935 - 1945) were reviewed and brought up to date,
tabulated and charted.
281 extrinsic larynx cases (1935 - 1942) were reviewed
and brought up to date; 204cases (1943 - 1947) were added to the
series - data on the 485 cases were tabulated and charted. 181
cases of thyroid cancer (1947 - 1949) were abstracted and added to
the previous series of 301 - data on the 482 cases were tabulated.
205 cases of cancer of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity were
abstracted. Abstracting of the 1944 and 19Y5 cases of cancer of
the cervix was begun. All cases oi'cancer of the small intestine
(39 cases from 1927 to 1950) were abstracted and coded~.
II. Construction of indices of daily hospital activity,
including admissic.ns, d'_sc?:a^c<e~, diagnoses, and -si?dtment:
The development at the Memorial Hospital of the
Four-Featured Index, which has been describedin previous reports,
is filling a long felt universal need for the indexing of basic data
in a compact and accessible way which enables visiaalization of the
listings and mechanical sorting for tabulating purposes. Advice
on its application is sought every week. In this activity index,
Memorial is pioneering to produce a tool for the general use of
all workers in the field.

- 12 -
The index provides the following information on
each patient: 1) the anatomic site of origin of the neonla.am;
2) its histological classification; 3) record of ascoc?.ated
medical conditions and postoperative complicatiozs; 4) taLulation
of patient days and related information. L'nd.Fr ti::s prograr!,
1514 admissions so far have been coded, punched, and cross-indexed.
The Department of Statistics uses the In`.ernaticnal
Statistical Classification of Diseases, Injuries, and Causes of
Death for the general disease index. Under each anatomic code
number, there is an alphabetical card index of histologic t.y-pes,
(arranged as a dictionary type index of tumors with nc:meri^al
equivalents), which furnishes a record of total case hoaa,.,zg of any
specific tumor under study and of medical conditions and postopera-
tive complication.
Each day admissions are coded on punch cards and
the experience of the individual patient is checked through~ t:1e
month so that an activity report may be made shcwinz,along,xith
other related information, the number of patients admitted and
discharged~.
For each operation that has been per.for.med si_nce
January 1950, a punch card has been filled out containi-ag the
patient's name, the name of operation, date, surgeon, service,
Aatrology report, and chief diagnosis. These carc'.s forn the
skeleton of a complete index of operations on punch car3s.
A sub-committee to the Medical Records Cormittee
has been Appointedto clarify and define certain of the more compli-
ca':,e;? pro~_e3iares to insure vroper classification. The biomet~ician
has net wTa*n s everal membe: s of this comm3ttee and grad .~:ally c,Pf i.ni -
tious t:-i.11 be for ,hcoyiing. The consultant has wor: :~ea out the de'l-a.ils
of a surgical code whach will be applied to the cards.
The isae.. of operations has provided lists of all
suraical proce~.rses by serv~ice and has saved countless hot1:..s of
the medical sta?'f by Lrak~_rg reaOily available tn::n request lists
of all p*leUl1C)n-zG+oIA:ires, r3'_~'=C2. muctect7rLas, CSCD.11bi::E.'d i`esect]lons
of the inanC-;bln, muth cs.ncer and ra.c _cal r.ecl d_.ssection and
similar irlfcrmation.
III. Pl2.onj,nr; o-tca criT:_cal ana,]!ysi.5 of special studies:
From the po.'_nt of view of the analysts, this area of
activity is the m-,st crucial one anrl the one t4hirn r.ea-iires the most
hi;'niy specialized skill. The DePar-.ment of Statistics has carried

13
out a number of such studies in cooperation with various other
departments of Memorial Center.
Gynecology Service: For a project of this group in
cooperation with the Pathology Department, a special code for
evaluation of radical hysterectomy with pelvic node dissection
was prepared by the Department of Statistics. The difference in
the League of Nations Grading of cervix cancer before operation
and the findings of the operation constitutes a significant
contribution to the knowledge on this subject.
Gastric and Mixed Tumor'Service: A member of this
group is studying retroperitoneal tumors with the help of the De-
partment of Statistics. Statistical abstractions of the details
of all cases of retroperitoneal cancer, of which Memorial has an
unusually large number, are in preparation.
Thoracic Service: In response to a request from~this
service, lists were prepared of patients with achalasia and cardio-
spasm~. This service also requested figures on cytological tests
done in connection with lung cancer. Fr=a study previously per-
formed we were able to obtai~n the results of cytological tests
on sputums, washings and aspiration biopsy in a series of 128 cases
of resection for cancer of the lung. The Department of Statistics
has also compiled a list of all cases of cancer of the esophagus
seenat Memorial, Hospital from 1930 through 1950.
Breast Service: For the chief of the Breast Ser-
vice, a study was done on the results of radical mastectomy plus
administration of testosterone as compared with radical mastectomy
alone. A preliminary report was completed on two series of breast
cancer cases, those (350) who had the standard procedure - radical
mastectomy - and those (218) who had radical mastectomy plus
administration of testosterone. The survival rate curves were
plotted for the two groups.
For one of the attending surgeons on the Breast
Service, a study was und'erta.ken in June to determine the occurrence
of lymphedema of arm following radical mastectomy for cancer of
the breast. At the pr--sent date 1084 cases have been coded and
punched and are being sorted.

-14 -
Head and Neck Service: One of the operations em-
ployed extensively and perfected at Memorial Hospital is the
radical neck dissection for eradication of neck node metastases.
For the chief of the Head and Neck Service the statistical
department abstracted the records of 599 patients having 655
neck dissections performed from 1928 to 1945 The resulting
statistical tables appear in the article "Neck Dissection" in
Cancer, May 1951. An interesting fact disclosed by this study
is that in 303 patients with cervical metastases in whom neck
dissection was performed, 101+ patients or 34.3% were free of disease
at five years from date of neck dissection.
At the request of one of the Attending Surgeons
on the Head and Neck Service a paper on combined resection of
primary mouth cancer, mandible and neck (the "Conmando") was
read by the biometrician, and a critical analysis of some of the
statements contained in~the article was made. The conclusion
reached was that more time is needed before the apparent im-
provement in cure rates for this very advanced type of mouth
cancer can be accepted as real. Nevertheless, the three and
four year results are very encouraging.
The study of the relationship between smoking and
cancer of the mouth has been uaderiray in the statistical department
for two years. Approximately 2000 cases have been interviewed
since July, 1949, men and women with mouth cancer matched with
men and women with no mouth complaint. A special code was con-
structed for the study of this material. All the cases have been
coded and punched, and the collected data are now ready for analysis.
Division of Experimental Chemotherapy: A member of this
Division of the Sloan-Kettering Institute requested help in planning
a study of all patients with leul.emia and other forms of cancer
that have received any form~of chemotherapy at Memorial Hospital
since such treatment was instituted.
Division of Experimental Pathology: The head of the
Cytochemistry Section of the Division requested a sound statisti-
cal basis:for planning alproject of mass screening of populations
for cancer of the cervix. Conferences with the biometrician and
the consultant to the department resulted in a plan.
Department of Public Information: Since the first of the
year, a Quadrennial Report of Memorial Center has been in prepara-
tion. In cooperation with the Department of Public Information,

f
k,
15
the Department of Statistics has prepared a list of the new cases
of cancer seen at Memorial Hospital by anatomic site for 1947,
1948) 1949 and 1950 plus the percentage distribution of the total
cancer cases for the four year period. From this data, uniform
tables were constructed for each service containing the new cases
of cancer by site plus all the benign and precancerous lesions
seen on that particular service. For each service, a table of
operations performed'in 1950 was prepared; these tables will be
included as a part of the Quadrennial Report. All statistical
figures included in the individual reports were checked by the
statistical department. A table was prepared of the number of
x-ray treatments given according to service for each of the years
1947, 1948, 1949, and 1950 for inclusion in the Quadrennial Report.
For a representative of the Associated Press, the
Department of Statistics prepared some figures on incidence of
children's tumors. 2.06% of all cancers are in the 0 - 19 age
group; approximately 30;~ of bone cancers of upper and lower
extremities occur in patients under twenty years of age.
Public Information requested for the American
Cancer Society the latest cure rates available in cancer of the
breast, cervix, larynx, and many other sites. The five-year
cure rates on cancer of the breast, cervix, corpus, lip, larynx,
tongue, and on children with cancer by histologic type were pre-
pared.
IV. Participation in cancer education activities:
Education Prcgrem: The Statistics Department
has participated in the Education Program at Memorial Hospital to
an increasing degree. The biomei;rician has continued lectures to
the medical students, has given alecture to the staff on "Cancer
Statistics" and arranged to have a lecture given at Memorial Center
by Dr. Cle_essen, an eminent statistician from Denmark, who spoke
on geographic variations in incidence of cancer.
3aries E?aing Society: On March 16, the biometrician
presented "A Comparative Report on Cancer of Intrinsic and Extrinsic
Larynx from Several Cancer Treatment Centers" at the meeting of the
James Ez+ringSociety. The paper aroused considerable interest in
that it stressed the need for a uniformimethod of presenting end
results.
New York City Cancer Committee: On May 9th, the
25th anniversary of the I.ew Yorl~ City Cancer Committee, the

-16-
consul:tant spoke to this group on the improvement in cancer cure
rates.
Visitors; From all over the world visitors have
come to Memorial Center to study the operation of the Department
of Statistics and to obtain help in planning similar record and
follow-up systems. They have come from the Radiumhemmet in
Stockholm, from the Danish Cancer Registry in Copenhagen, from
Iruiiay Yugoslavia, Italy, England, and from Michigan, Ohio,
Illinois, and from other institutions in New York City (Bellevue
and Kings County Hospital). Requests for help have been received
from University of Kansas Hospital, from the University of Colora-
do and from the American Cancer Society. In answer to these re-
quests, a detailed description of the system with enclosed samples
of cards filled out, codes and nomenclatures have been sent.
Arrangements are underway to record and publish this
information for distribution and general reference under the title
of "Techniques in cancer record keeping, tabulation and analysis,
and follow-up techniques."
