Cancer prevention and control

Obviously, cancer prevention activities are not intended to replace or overshadow the important progress basic treatment modalities have made in the last 15 years. By combining surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, many cancers are now being cured and controlled. For many childhood cancers, leukemias and sarcomas, dramatic progress has been made. However, for many of the more common cancer such as lung, breast, and colon-rectum, where numerous environmental factors within the control of the individual are often involved, prevention programs offer a new, positive attack on the cancer problem--one that I find exciting and most promising as we enter the decade of the 80's.