Tobacco Documents Online

. THE 2"INSES-STAR . Alameda, California •'S!eptember 4, 1962 a:n~er . S't~idy . Of f ens 11Te.~~ Hope The myst'eries of cancer seem~ to keep broaden- imgg, .as scientists continue their investigation of a groWing list of possible suspects. Witness the re- cent report by the U. S. Public Health Service showing, that lung cancer death rates show wide variation f r= city to city throughout the, Llnited States. On the other handl press reports from the recent Iriternational' Cancer Congress, with top scientists from all over the world participating. indicate the growing belief' among scientists that viruses play a key role in cancer causation, and that real progress is being made in the search for the causes of' the disease. , .- The virus theory assumes increasing importance, the scientists tell us, because, if correct,, it holds the hope that a protective vaccine developed againstt cancer. • ". There is a moral in the development of the virus 2h-enry--for scientists, and' the general public. =- -It-wasn't too many years ago that the few scien- 'ti'sis, who believed in the virus theory of causation had trouble scraping up the funds they needed too cond!uct' their resear& Somehow they, did, and' today their work is being widely recognized. . Dtiriuig these years, the public has been deliuged' with reports about' things that were said to cause caftcer: Josh Billings once said, "Itt is better to know nothing than to know what ain't so." . jt_ seems clear today that scientists do not know the basic causes of cancer of' any kindL Yet there is hope for an eventual solution because scientific knenvledge and perspective have grown immensely. -U. S. Press Association. ' PRIDFIERS' INK' August lo, 1962 U. S. smoking study starts ' ~ : ... Tobacco, adluertisers, warily -awaitmg ~ study by the federal government onI the effecEs of! cigarette smoking, finally got the word that;, the study is ready to gol Surgeon Generil . Luther Terry last week announced that a two~~' phase study on the dangers of smoking, will start in September. It will go on throu 19651 at' least, Withi so much at stake-including the possi}; ble recommendations, depending on the finel . ings of the study, that stringent regulations "'" be im osed i tt ds th ~ p on c gare e a - e gpvernm ent is obviously moving, slowly. Accordanglj~; the ~ first phase of the study„ dealing with the na ture and scope of the health hazard, will take at least six months. The second stage, which F 1 will have to do with "recommendations for I ~ action," will go, on at length,, after the first ~~ ~ l,.; n phase is concluded! ~! So far 150 names have been considered for ~ membershdp in the study group. Some 12, it is expected, will be picked for the job. Con- ` clusimn: Cigarette advertisers will have ample time to cope with any adverse judgments that ~'- Yrs may arise from the federal probe. As things s r t" look now, it will' be nearly two years; before .._ , the government arrives at any far-reaching de ~ cision oni the effects~ of'~ smoking, . . ._ .. ..~._.