Tobacco Documents Online

< 'A report issued by the American Cancer Society on a poll of doctors on cigarettes and lung cancer gained press attention in some areas. . ~ ~ , . , .- .. . WASHINGTON DAILY NEWS Washington, D.C. October 26, 1960 NEW YORK HERAM TRI'BUNE New York, New York •r October 26, 1960 1t I J t w { ., 'any" Do~tois Lin inokinq and Cancer By JOHN TROAN Scripps-Howard Bcience Writer One-third of the physi- . cians in the U. S. are now convinced cigaret smoking ~ is "a major cause of lung ~ . cancer." Almost as many believe ~ this "probably" is true. ~, The figures are based on a cross-section survey of doctors ~ conducted for the American Cancer Society by the Univer- sity sity of Chicago's national opinion research center, DiEETING The society released the findings today In conjunction. . with its annual meeting in New York. One of the questions asked In the survey was this: "Is cigaret smoking a major cause of lung cancer" Here's how the doctors re- plied: • DefinItely-33 per cent. • Probably-31 per cent. " • Probably not - 13 per cent. • Definitely not-9 per cent. • No opinion-14 per cent. The poll disclosed fewer than half of the physicians now use cigarets. The break- down: 43 per cent smoke regularly and 5 per cent do so occasionally. It didn't' seek to find out how many doctors smoke cigars or. pipes. 23 PER CENT Of those who don't smoke cigarets, 23 per cent' never did. Most of the others quit in the past nine years, dur- ing which time the contro- versy over cigarets and lung cancer has reached a peak. Statistics show heavy cigar- et smokers do develop lung cancer more frequently than others. But the tobacco in- dustry contends this doesn't' prove cigarets actually cause such cancer. It also questions the validity of some of the stratistics. Nevertheless, The World Health Organization as well, as Government health agen. cies in the U. S., Great Britain, The Netherlands and Sweden have concluded cigarets are a major cause of lung cancer. Lung Cancer, Smolin By Stuart }-~T Loory .. (meaning one in five cut out Here are some questions to Ismoking since the recent evi- ask your family doctor or a dence of an association with specialist' about the relation- lung cancer), and 10 per cent ship between cigarette smoking stopped nine or more yea •s ago. ' and lung cancer, and here also 587 Doctors Quizzed i.:. are the answers he is likely to These are among the ques- . give you. tions the American Cancer So- 1. Is cigarette smoking a ma- Iciety asked a sample group of Jor.cause of lung cancer? 587 doctors throughout the Two out of three in a nation- country last year In hotir-long wide representative sample of interviews. The society com- physicians think so. Half of missioned the study to deter- these say smoking "definitely" mine how well It was getting is: the other half say it "prob- lits professional education pro- ably" is. 1gram ~cross to doctors. 2. Should P shop smoking? The results were reported yes- One-third say they routinely terday during the societv's an- advise their patients to stop. nual meeting in the Hotel Bilt. Another 58 per cent advise more. against smoking by patients The study, conducted by the with respiratory ailments,•heart'~ National Opinion Research or . blood circulation troubles, Center of the University of weight loss, gastro-intestinal Chicago, also revealed that trouble, when~ they think smok- three out of four doctors ad- ing is causing "general"' dam- Ivised their adult patients to age, when, patients are "recep- r'ave an annual physical ex- tive" t~the idea or when their laminat'ion no matter how well patients are "heavy" (a pack or they feel. The examinations, more a day) smokerss ithe doctors said, should include 3. Do you smoke cigarettes, Ign annual chest' X-ray and a doctor, or did you ever smoke? Ipelvic examination for women Two out of five smoke regu- 'as a precaution against specific larly, 5 per cent have smoked itypes of cancer. occasionally, 29 per cent used ~' More than two out of ten to but have stopped smoking doctors, however, advised and 23 per cent never smoked. t against annual chest X-rays for 4. (If your doctor has stopped men~ over forty-five. One quarter smoking) How long ago did of these gave as a reason their you stop? belief, that radiation can be Eight per cent stopped less 1harmful: than three years ago, 3 per cent' The rest of the study was three or four years ago, 7 per devoted to doctors' work habits, cent five to nine years ago 1reading habits and recreation, and economic information.