City in Sound; Cancer Prevention Center

Good evening. This is Jim Hurl, but exploring with you again tonight, the city and sound. In this city, all sorts of sounds representing all sorts of stories that add up to the total of the life and being of seven million people. Tonight the sound is a voice, heard in a consulting room on the second floor of what used to be an old -fashioned brownstone front on Chicago's near north side. The voice is heard in response to a question by this reporter. Pardon me. Can I talk to you a moment? This isn't your first visit to the center, is it? No. I was here two and a half years ago. How did you happen to come in the first time? One of my girlfriends talked me in to come and in for a check -up. You thought you were a perfectly healthy gal at that time? Yes, I did. What happened? Well, they found that I had the cancer cells, and then I had to go into my doctor and I went through my surgery and had a complete hysterectomy. And they said that I probably would have lived about five years so they saved my life. When I have been back here and gone through an

examination again today, things look pretty good. I hope so. Yes, things look pretty good. For a young woman who apparently has been cured of cancer, cured because of that first visit to the Cancer Prevention Center of Chicago at 17 West Huron Street. In the years that the center has been an operation, many other women and men too, who took the precaution of undergoing the complete physical examination the center offers, were able to avoid cancer simply because its insipient traces were discovered in time. That's what the center exists for, as its name implies, to prevent cancer before it gets started. There's a great deal more to the story. We hear it from the people who operate the center, as well as the people who utilize its services. Your doctor, Cesar Portis, is that right? That's correct. And you're the medical director of the Cancer Prevention Center. That's right. Dr. the important word it seems to me in that title is prevention. Why is it called the Cancer Prevention Center? Well, actually, these are known as cancer detection centers.

We really cannot prevent cancer, but I would like to explain to you how it can be done because the name actually does apply to all cancer detection centers. Now, our aim, our purpose is to examine presumably normal healthy people. With the view in mind of finding early cancer or pre -cancerous lesions, that means these growths, swellings, ulcerations, erosions, bleeding points, all these things that are not yet malignant, but are potentially malignant. Things that could lead to cancer have left undetected. Now, this is right. If permitted to grow, we'll develop into cancer. Now, we find these early with this examination of ours, the so -called cancer detection examination. And we find these early and we refer these people back to their doctors for their removal. And in that way, we do prevent cancer from developing. Well, doctor, I know that you refer to

cancer as an enemy of society, I think, and certainly a good reason. And you say that there's a constant war going on against cancer. Is this a one -phase operation of war against cancer? I'm glad you asked that question because that is true. This is a war. It's a war against a dreadful enemy, a dreaded disease, cancer. And it has to be attacked from many angles. And as I call it, from many battlefronts. And I can definitely describe three distinct battlefronts in this war against cancer. The first one, and perhaps the most important, is cancer research. Were this hope of finding a cure for cancer, or exactly the cause of cancer? In other words, it is a problem that is dealt with not with human beings so much as it is, what I call basic research, with animals. Or

as you may call it, test tube research. Now, the second approach, or as I call it, the second battlefront in the war against cancer, is where we treat people who have the disease. And again, regardless of cost, we must try to save lives, to try to prolong the remaining years upon this earth, by either chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation, which includes x -ray, radium, atomic ray, cobalt ray, and so on. Then comes the third battlefront, the third approach to the now we approach it from a different viewpoint entirely, different than the other two approaches to the problem. First, we do not do any basic research here. That means animal research, or test tube research. Our research is being done with people, with human beings, with a view in mind of finding newer instruments, better tests, with which to diagnose cancer early,

and give it to the medical profession, so they too may use them in a hope of finding early cancer or pre -cancerous lesions. Another way that we differ from the other approaches to the cancer problem is that we do not treat people here, nor do we take sick people here. When we find anything wrong with the individual, we refer them back to their own doctor for treatment. And they must be presumably normal healthy individuals. They are asked this question when they make an appointment. Are you now under a doctor's care? Are you sick? If the answer is yes, we will not give them an appointment. Otherwise, these are presumably normal healthy people. Well, then your question to me might be if they are all normal healthy people, what do you expect to find in healthy people? Well, our statistics show, for 1957, that we send back 82 percent. 82 people out of 100 were sent back to their doctors with something wrong with them, of which they were unaware.

Not cancer, of course not, that's too big a percentage. We find about 2 percent, 2 out of 100, that we classify as suspect cancers. But more important is this factor, that we find here these pre -cancerous lesions that I described a little while ago. In the early stage, perhaps even before they have become malignant, when we find some of these cells under the microscope, for example in the examination of the female organs, when we find these cells, cancer cells, so early that the lesion even cannot be seen with the naked eye. For example, when we find these growths in the rectum or lower colon, that two are probably potentially malignant. We find these before they have become malignant, and we send these people back to their doctors to have this removed and destroyed, and we prevent

cancer from developing. I also presume, doctor, that other these normal healthy people who come in here, for examination, there are a number, a good many that you sent home with their fears of late, people who have been afraid that something is wrong with them. They put off coming in for an examination, because they're afraid they will find it. When they get here, you make the examination and find out they don't have what they're afraid they do have, is that right? This is so true. I think that this is another one of our missions. We try not to make people cancer full or neurotics. We don't mean to frighten them. In fact, our mission is to make them feel good. We always hope that the majority of them will get good reports that there's nothing wrong with them as far as cancer is concerned, so that this is our mission, and this is another method of making people a little bit more or rather less reticent about coming in for examinations for cancer detection. Many people are lethargic, afraid, they don't want to know the truth, and this is one way of trying to

make them come in for these periodic examinations. Can I break in on your coffee break for a moment? How did you happen to come down here to the center? I heard about it through a friend. Had she been through the center herself? Yes, yes. Was she enthusiastic about this? Yes, very much so. What's happened to you since you come down here? Oh, just went through the laboratory in the X -ray room, and now we're going upstairs. To take you a long time before you're able to remind them to come down? Not too long. My sister has cancer, so I want to be sure that I'm all right. You know the importance of this? Yes, I do. Yes, I do. Can I interrupt you for a moment? You're the executive secretary of the Cancer Prevention Center Yeah, that's right. What's your name? My name's Irving Homel. Mr. Homel, first of all, I'd like to find out a little of the background of the center where it got started and how it came to be here on

Huron Street and one of the old brown fronts out here. Well, in 1943, a group of women decided that they were going to do something about cancer and about early deaths from cancer. Two of the women were doctors and two or three others were laypersons. They established an administrative center first. To take appointments and people were sent to various hospitals throughout the city, Mercy Hospital, Grants, Henroeaton, and so forth, where the examinations were conducted. In 1946, the Cancer Prevention Center was incorporated as a not -for -profit organization. Two years later, men's clinics were established. In 1949, the center bought its own building here at 17 West Huron Street. The center bought the building from the Art Institute and established

the examination facilities right here in this old brown stone, as you call. Well, you have a great many people coming here every week then to this building. That's right, sir. There are about 135 men and women who come to the center. Now, what happens when they come here? First of all, let's go back. Where do they hear about the center? Where is the first information that a person gets about the existence of the center? Well, most people hear about the center through their friends, relations, and neighbors. They also hear about the center through radio announcements and a great variety of sources, a great variety of sources is right. And how do they make contact with the center? Well, people generally phone. Good afternoon, cancer prevention center. May I help you? Yes. Audition appointment. Have you ever been here before?

Are you under doctor's care? All right, fine. And what is your name, sir? I see. And your address? All right. And is that in Chicago, sir? And your phone number? All right. Thank you very much, sir. We'll notify you by mail as soon as there is an open date. Well, it's approximately six to eight weeks for men. But as soon as there is an opening, and we do have cancellations occasionally, and when we do, we will call you if you wish to be put on a short notice. All right. Thank you for calling, sir. Bye. Now, when they come here, what happens from that time on? Say that a person has an appointment, when they come here, what's the procedure? Well, the procedure follows in this fashion. The person is registered in

first. They are then asked to partially disrobe. They move on then to the X -ray unit where a chest X -ray is taken. After that, they go to the laboratory where blood is drawn, and for various kinds of tests, the complete blood count, blood serology, hemoglobin percentage, and so forth. After that, they then come upstairs. On the way up, we invite them to have a coffee break. We have coffee facilities here. And they then proceed upstairs where a nurse or social worker, either one, takes their social and medical history. This is important. We want the doctors to know about that before the doctor proceeds with his examination.

After that, history has taken the examinee, then, as examined by a internist, given a general medical examination. Then, get a proctoscopic examination, which is an examination of the lower colon and rectum for any problems there. In the case of women, the pelvic examination, then, is given by a gynecologist. The information is assembled on our various forms, which, when assembled, we call a medical chart. Before leaving, the men and women are given appointments to come back for a second visit, generally, two weeks from the first. Now, the purpose of the second visit is educational for one thing, and then also for the consultation with one of our consultants. Are you the head nurse here at the Cancer Prevention Center? Yes, sir. Your name is... Mrs. Helen Routhberg.

Mrs. Routhberg, you see a lot of people going through the examination here, I suppose. Keeps you pretty busy. That's right. Do you think that men or women are the most courageous in facing up to a problem with this sort? I would say women. Why is that? Well, I think we go through great deal more in a medical aspect than men do, and are subjected to more things, and we just naturally are, well, should we say, geared to take it better than men? But men go through it. Yes, they go through very well, I'd say. Do the examination is different between men and women? No, it's a routine examination. Pretty well. There may be some differences, but by and large, it's the same examination from the front door to the back. That's true. With your laboratory procedure, your medical and physical findings and your rectal examination. I notice that you keep some sort of records here, Mrs. Routhberg. Yes, we do. On all patients, there is a complete medical and social

history taken on the patient. You ask the questions, do you? That's right. We do. What nurses take the medical and social histories? What sort of questions are typical of a medical and social history? Well, on the social history itself, to our interest greatly, we find out if a patient has any history of cancer in their immediate family, that means blood relation, including the patient themselves. Then we also proceed into the medical part of it and ask the patient if she has any presenting complaint at this time, or does she just want the routine check up? Yes, she has any complaints. She usually enumerates them to us, and they are written down on her medical record. This is kind of a long process to go through, isn't it? Well, I don't know how long it's going to be. The lady downstairs said we'd be here until about 3 .30, so I imagine it is quite a long process. Is this your first visit to the center? Yes, we happen to have a

cancer dressing group in our community where we prepare the cancer dressings, and through those people I found out about this place, and I think it's a very worthwhile thing to do for everyone. I think everybody should do it, men and women. It's amazing after you once hear about a thing, you discover that a great many people actually know about it. Yes, that's true, and I don't know if too many people know that there are free dressings given out from your local cancer fund. People prepare the dressings, and they are given to all the public, no matter whether you're poor, rich, or anything, and so many people do spend a great amount of money on dressings, but they are free if you know about them. A lot of people are giving their time to make those dressings. Well, that's true, too. This is the laboratory, isn't it? That's right, sir. And you're a laboratory technician? Correct. Name is Jack Strobel. So you're busy with blood samples. What do you do with these, Mr. Strobel? These are serology samples that we detect syphilis with, and we also take blood counts to determine how much hemoglobin a person

has, and I was looking for anemia, and also in the blood smears we look for leukemia, which would be a form of blood cancer, they say. Are there other tests that go on down here in the laboratory? Well, we check your analysis, complete examination in your analysis. First, we take chest x -rays in the back room. We have a new test, we call a diagnosis. It's a tubeless gastric analysis that determine how much acid is in the stomach. Well, all the blood looks the same to me and the bottles, and I guess it looks the same to you when you look at it with the naked eye. It's only after you put it under a microscope that you find out the differences. That's correct. No, we add some chemicals, too, to determine the hemoglobin. Most people do comment about the blood's all up the same, or they'll say mine looks a little bit darker, or mine looks a little lighter, but you can't go by the physical appearance of the blood as it is in the tube. I mean, the most color is looking blood might be the most healthy. That's right. It depends on how we put the blood into the tube, too. If we score a little air into it, it's going to be red or two, so we don't determine anything just by the looks of the blood. Just being a good

red blooded fellow doesn't mean that you don't have cancer or don't have something else. That's true, too. Can I interrupt you in your work? Sure. I know what this is. This is the x -ray laboratory, isn't it? What is your name? Miss Cavali. First name? Alida. Cavali. That's right. And you're an x -ray technician. Is that the proper title? Yes. What is the purpose of the x -ray test? Well, it's just we got any possibility of tumors. Can you detect those in x -rays? Yes. How long does it take? After an x -ray is made, as you just made one here, how long does it take before you can or a doctor can examine the x -ray plate and tell what's on it? Well, we mail them out to another doctor in a day or two and he reads them and sends us a report back to us. You just take the one position on the x -ray, isn't it? Is this your first visit to the center? Yes, it is my first. What did you hear about it? Well, actually,

I've heard about it for many years now through various people discussing it. And I have never had a good check up. I've gone to my doctor where he just listens to your heart and you know, it takes your blood pressure and I felt that, well, after a certain age, why you should have a good check -up. You don't have something that caused you to come up and take the... No, I just felt that I should have one good check -up. I've never had one since I've well since I was born, probably, but I felt that it was a necessary thing. You should do it for your own peace of mind. How much of the process have you gone through after this time? Well, the x -ray and the blood test. And then you're on the way through the four of the rest of the examination. That's right. Can I interrupt you with your work? I see your sorting checks. Yes, I was counting the receipts that we get from the examination. The people that we have registered today. How much does it cost to take the examination? It's a contribution of $20. Does that cover the cost of the operation here at the center? No, it does

not. Oh, do funds come in from other sources then? Yes, our deficit is made up through various organizations. Some of them are the Molly Shine Memorial Club, the Anne Cypher, Cancer Prevention Aid, and Chicago with Reyes and there are others. Numerous groups then that contribute a part of their funds to the operation of the center. That's right. Your name is Ingrid Kramer. I see by the badge that you wear. Yes. Have you been here at the center a long time? Yes, approximately six years. How do you have to come here for a job? Well, through a friend of mine that worked here at that time. People that work here come through friends and the people that come here for examination find out about it through friends too. Yes, yes. Mr. O 'Homme, I break in on you again. I've just been going through the building following through the processes you've told me about before and quite a job from one floor up to the next and there's all building, which you do a good job of it, but do you have any plans

to change your location? We do. For the last six or eight months, we've been planning a new building. We have a dream. We're thinking in terms of a brand new building with facilities on one floor. We know it's inconvenient for people to walk up and down the stairs, so we want to have these facilities on one floor. Have you got your dream in a concrete floor? Well, we have preliminary plans. Here is a perspective drawing of a new cancer prevention center. What do you think of that? It's a beautiful place. How long has the planning been going on up to this point? Well, we've been thinking about this for the last eight months. We've had an architect draw up these preliminary plans so that we can show this to people and show them what we want to do. And this is the floor plan of the proposed building. All spread out then on one floor.

Well, it looks like a wonderful dream. I hope it's a dream that comes true. And that's a story direct from the battlefront in the war against cancer. And that's the city and sound Jim Herbert reporting, engineer George Wilson at the controls. Next week, the sound of home records in action.