19. The incidence of cancer seems to follow closely along the lines of modern civilization.
20. This extension of cancer seems to depend largely upon the altered conditions of life, particularly along the lines of self-indulgence in eating and drinking, and indolence.
21. The augmentation in the consumption of meat, coffee and alcoholic beverages appears to be coincident with a very great, and proportionately greater, augmentation of the mortality from cancer.
22. The nerve strain of modern life seems to be an element of importance, both through disturbance of metabolism, and by direct action on morbidly deranged cells.
23. No single remedy for cancer will probably ever be discovered, since it is conceded that there is no single cause for the disease.
24. Surgery has improved materially the statistics relating to the mortality of operative cases; but the total achievements along this line are insignificant compared with the general ultimate mortality of over 90 per cent. of those once afflicted with cancer.
25. Surgery has had, and may long have its function to perform in removing the products of the disease, more or less efficiently, curing some and prolonging the life of others, but it can never hope to lessen greatly the morbidity of cancer.
26. The X-ray and radium, as also caustics, are in the same position as surgery, and can do relatively little more than cause to disappear lesions which have developed from causes which they cannot reach.
27. With all these means the measure of success, aside from the technical skill of the operator, largely depends on the time or period of development of the malignant tumor before treatment; the earlier the removal is undertaken, other things being equal, the greater the possibilities of success.
28. The same is true in regard to the treatment of the disease by means other than those mentioned: the earlier the morbid process leading to tumor formation is attacked by dietetic, hygienic, and medicinal measures, the greater the promise and expectation of success, present and permanent.