Tobacco Documents Online

WOBURN TIMES ' Woburn, Massachusetts December 26, 1961 - ung Cancer Much Written, Remains A, Mystery T'.~mR ranvr has been written about, more often. in the medi~^i a.id laN press; than any other form of cancor. Many suspects ha--e been studied, many _ques- tions raised, but the causes re- main a, mystery. That is the conclusion ot two University of Teaas scientists sho reviswed, the literature on lung cancer published from 1930 to 1960; it was repot•ted today, in the publiiration "Tobacco and Health"; published by The To. bacco lnstitute, Inc. -4r.:• ,. The scientists' 0page review. with b55 refererices; covers var:- ous factors that have been studied, including tu'uerculosis, chest' ailments, occupational ex- posures, atmnspheric pollutants and tobacco use: . - "nbvinusi.v from this review it Is evident' that the etiology and the pathoaenesis of pulmonary cancer in man is not known," sairl D*: R.H. Rigdon and Helen Kirchoff. - "Tobacco and, Hpaith", which summarizes published resea}rh 'relevant to tnbacco use a!arl hAalth; also inc!udes articies on lung cancer statistics. heart stud- ies and a report linking tubercu- losis to lung cancer causation. One heart study;, don,! in New Zealand! found' no difference In blo»d chclrsterol levels amon; 1#'hilh the ' scientists give con- middle-aged' smokers and non- siderable attention to reports smokers. A lariFsh study foundl linking tobacco to lung cancer.. no association between tobi•-•_oi they said the smoking theory . of'.f smoking ao:i tl!~ . level rf fatty eausati0n is ba!z-d lar;ely on sta- substances in the blood of older tistical studies that vary widely, mcn• ~ in reported findings. "Since smokin-, , is such a com- mon habit' and' lung cancer is t•e- latively infrequent in those who smoke, there must' be some as yet unl-tiwn factors that enter irto this mechanism " fhey said. . Their report also, cited studies - ~ i^~'innin~^ ~rhr'hrr lun, canccr - incidence is actually on the in- creas^ and. ifi sa, to what extienf. JAMUARY' 1962 LUNG CANCER MY'STERY- --, ---- ---------- - `- ----- --A:5'5) It is said that mcre has been written about lung cancer than any other forrn of •;, cancer. It has been the object of an all~-out medical research program. It has` been~ studied and re-studied, and countless theories about causes have been investigate& and eval'uated. And today, says a new research report, the plain fact is that science still does not kn©Ntr what causes 1'ung cancer, The report , ~publisNr.ed by two '1Texas~scientists, Dr. R. H. Rigdon and Helen Kirchoff, of the ~~, , pathology department of the University of Texas Medical Branch. They reviewed ; - ; . hundreds of scientific research reports on lung cancer publishedi between 1930 f, and 1960. They reviewed studies suggesting, lung cancer, might be related to'"4~~ ~ such things as tuberculosi' s, influenza and other chest ailments, occupational -~edf tb Ofbaoy r xposures, atmospheric pollutants an use ooacco.' tocc they said: Since smoking is such a common habit, and: lung, cancer:,is rellativel'y: irf'requent among smokers, there must be' so'mie as yet' unknown factors that-are-iinv,olved w 'n 6h di I~ fact thititt, it i'lthrrtain~eer esease.n~,e scenss wroes not aogete c:e whth lung, cancer is actually on the increase or whether more cases are being,.reported { f : because we have better methods of diagnosis and more inter est is directed toward'-s: lung cancer. All of which is to report_.-- as one physician wrote in the 19th century -- lung, cancer ils a, common disease of uncomrnon, interest. And'lit's still very much of a medical mystery i