Lung cancer sufferers aren't getting to the surgeon fast enough, according to Dr. Julius L. Wilson of Philadelphia, Pa., director of medical education for the American Trudeau Society.
The doctor told a mycobacterial and mycotic disease seminar at Louisiana State university medical school yesterday that
the lung ailments are getting too much of a head start for adequate cure.
On the subject of lung cancer, he added:
"We believe of course that smoking over a long period of time may be a contributing cause. We also believe that air pollution is a contributing cause in large cities; that hereditary lung weakness may prove a factor." Cites TB Figures
On the subject of tuberculosis, Dr. Wilson said: "Although between 30 million and 40 million persons in the United States are infected with tuberculosis only about 100,000 are in need of treatment. The rest have licked the disease."
Another speaker at the seminar was Dr. Margaret D. Smith of New York city. She directs children's chest service at Bellevue hospital.
She said that tuberculosis might be completely eliminated in 50 years if it could be detected early in children. She proceeded to describe methods this could be done.
"The best way is the tuberculin test, which is done in school," Dr. Smith pointed out. "Treatment usually takes about a year.
"The majority of children dc not have to be hospitalized, particularly if the disease is caughi in "its early stages. They take pills for about a year and car usually go to school and go about their regular activities." Stil! Leader
She said that TB is still the leading infectious disease in the nation and it is 10 times more prevalent than polio.
The best treatment so far is a pill called isoniazid, or INH.
Dr. Felix A. Huges of Memphis, Tenn., told of the difficulty of differentiating between lung lung cancer and fungus infection of the lung.
After every possible test is made and it still is uncertain, he said, exploratory surgery should be made before a "loss of the chance to cure a localized lung cancer, fungus disease or othei infection."
Dr. Hughes is chief of thoracic surgery at the Veterans Administration hospital in Memphis.
The conference, sponsored by the Tuberculosis Association of Greater New Orleans, Orleans parish medical society, and Tu-lane and LSU medical schools ended today.
