Cancer

Dr. Thomas Marcom, formerly of northwestern Alaska, wrote from 327 Wesley Gardens, Des Moines, Washington, on January 11, 1958:

“My experience in Nome covered the years from 1936 to 1946, during which time I was privileged to see a large portion of the Eskimo population in Nome and surrounding areas, including the coast, the interior, the Diomedes, King and St. Lawrence Islands. I know of only one case of cancer ... of the penis which had been operated upon by Dr. Rex Swartz, my predecessor. I followed the case for about eight years. The man died at an age beyond 70. I diagnosed no case.”

Nome, though it was a prosperous district for a decade or two after 1900, has not shared much in recent Alaska prosperity. Consequently most natives, between the Yukon delta and Point Hope, still live mainly on fish and game which they themselves secure.

Miss Keaton advised us to get in touch with the widow of Dr. Smith, a trained nurse, to check her [Miss Keaton's] report on Dr. Smith's views. Mrs. Marguerite Smith answered on July 19, 1957, from 803 Fourth Avenue, Puyallup, Washington:

“It has long been my wish that Dr. Smith's observations concerning the incidence of cancer ... be made known ... I was with him after 1936, and many times he remarked that he had never encountered cancer among the natives (Eskimos) prior to that time. During the time I was in Kotzebue, 1936-41, we had only two malignancies, one in 1938, the second I believe in 1940 ... Both patients were in their late fifties ...

“Since leaving the hospital, I personally know of two women in their thirties who have died from cancer of the cervix ... Both had acquired the white man's way of living. During the time I was there I believe there were on the average one or two cases of non-native cancer pet year ...”

 Chronologically speaking, the next report on cancer for this region is credited to me, on page 171 of Dr. Frederick L. Hoffman's Cancer and Diet (Baltimore, 1937) :

“... food surveys of the Arctic region, particularly by Stefansson [in northern Alaska and the Canadian western Arctic] seem to show, regardless of a practically exclusive meat diet, that Eskimos suffer very little from malignant disease ...”

“In 1936 I went to Nain from Hopedale and was again told, by the late Reverend Paul Hettasch, that cancer was unknown among the Eskimos. But during the following winter, 1937-38, an Eskimo woman, Leah Ikkusak, became ill, was later transferred to hospital, and returned home in 1940 with inoperable cancer of the womb. [She was the widow of the white man, Robert Ford: who had died of cancer.]

“In 1941 another Eskimo, Amos Martin, dled of cancel of the throat. Other cases between 1943 and 1945 in Nain were Boaz Obed, cancer of the stomach, and his wife Rosina, cancer of the womb. Then came Judith White, cancer of the breast (here was successful amputation). Then came two half-breed brothers, John and Amos Voisey, both of whom died of cancer of the throat and mouth. This was followed by John Samiat, Eskimo, cancer of the throat; then Karoline Kojak in 1955, cancer of the womb and breast. All these cases, with the exception of Nochasak, were at Nain and there were undoubtedly cases on other stations; all died with the exception of Mrs. Kojak who returned from hospital last summer and is still living.”

This paragraph was read in manuscript by Dr. Philip R. White, specialist in vegetable cancers but a general student of malignancy problems. He suggests that the paired junctions are remarkable and should not pass without remark — two men who die of stomach cancer whose respective wives die of womb cancer; and both of a pair of brothers who died of throat cancer. Numerous commentary possibilities rise to mind. However, with the foregoing analysis of the views expressed by northern medical missionaries in mind, it is fairly obvious what their suggestions would be. Believing that cancer is environmental in causation and chiefly nutritional, they would point out that husband and wife almost necessarily live in the same houses and eat the same foods prepared the same way. Like similarity would hold for brothers. So, why should not a nutritional disease be likely to strike these paired individuals within a few years of each other?