Time Is Life (ca 1949)

[Music] [Applause] [Music] the quiet of midnight hangs over the town your neighbor's house or perhaps it's your house asleep a sleep Sav for one member of the family just one week ago Mary Bronson discovered that she has what may be a symptom of cancer cancer cancer it can start they say almost unnoticeably and then it grows and grows a horror that never stops is it contagious can my family catch it my friends what if it's inherited will my children have it too [Music] what will happen to me will I die well that's foolishness I probably don't have cancer at all what if I do people don't tell you about cancer they don't talk about it why not is a Cancer Victim an outcast is there no hope no [Music] hope even in the daytime there is no rest no peace nerves will not stay quiet they shout they clamor cancer cancer cancer cancer cancer [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] it's a devil's tune that no one else can hear no one else can understand walk walk away from it leave it behind as you go about your daily work do your shopping and forget it cancer cancer cancer I can't forget it I can't I ought to do something about it I know I should but where can I go who can help [Music] me look here the American Cancer Society maintains this office and many others to help people just like you Mrs Bronson go on in don't be frightened don't go away you needn't feel conspicuous there are others worried about cancer too thousands of them for instance Frank Turner he's greatly worried that he has cancer cancer can strike anyone it can strike George Reeves who owns the local hardware store or Harriet Glennon who's always so healthy or Roy me a clock expert never sick a day of his life even Ruth Condon the picture of Health babies aren't immune in fact no one is is cancer strikes blindly anywhere Banker Rick L Postman mechanic one out of every eight in one year in the United States 175,000 people die of cancer more Americans than were killed in the war from Pearl Harbor to peace in Tokyo bay unless we gain new knowledge and vastly spread what we now know one out of every eight Americans now alive will die of cancer one out of eight and is this one of them our worried housewife does Mary Bronson have cancer well she knows she might have and she is an intelligent woman so at last she decides to return to the office of the field Army of the American Cancer Society [Music] inside is Helen Woolsey a worker in the field Army she seems nice doesn't she Mrs Bronson certainly not frightening at [Music] all and it's a pleasant office here quiet reassuring Miss woy closes the door to ensure privacy for a confidential [Music] talk tell her all about it Mrs Bronson tell her how frightened You' be you see she knows exactly what you mean she understands and she has the answers too cancer is not contagious cancer is not inherited not a disgrace and cancer can be cured if it's caught early enough Mrs Bronson only two out of 10 with a lump in the breast have cancer and even in those cases 75% can be cured if treated in time so you see you were wise you are very wise not to waste more time it's vitally necessary to see your doctor as soon as you notice any of these seven danger signals any SAR that does not heal particularly about the tongue mouth or lips a painless lump or thickening especially in the breast lip or tongue irregular bleeding or discharge from the nipple or any natural body opening Progressive change in in the color or size of a wart mole or birth mark persistent indigestion persistent heness unexplained cough or difficulty in swallowing any change in the normal bowel habits see your doctor at once about any of these warning signals don't wait and worry delay may be fatal cancer is often curable if treated in time Miss woy telephones to make an appointment with Mrs Bronson's family physician Dr Addison an examination is an absolute [Music] necessity the examination is over and Mrs Bronson is feeling much better because now something is being done about her [Music] trouble she's no longer alone science is fighting by her side Dr Addison explains the nature of cancer [Music] it's like a gangster in the body an outlaw cell that won't stop growing say it starts in the breast it grows there and then expands through the lymphatic and circulatory systems to a nearby vulnerable spot in the armpit then it moves up to a gland in the neck and then it really starts to spread throughout the body the only way to stop it is to remove it before it's so scattered it's impossible to remove so the one thing to do is to catch it early while it's still just in one little spot there is still the most important question of all to be answered Mrs Bronson wants to know how to tell whether she has cancer there's only one way you'll need a minor operation called a biopsy it isn't serious the surgeon will simply remove that small lump you've noticed and a pathologist will examine it to see whether it's harmless or cancerous the chances are by far that it will not be cancerous but suppose it is how is cancer [Music] treated Dr Addison decides he can explain it best with pictures the most common method of treatment is surgery actually cutting out every last trace of the cancerous tissue a second method is x-ray the X-ray carefully applied destroys cancerous cells but not healthy tissues a third method consists in the use of radium a small amount of radium is applied directly to the affected area today the American Cancer Society has launched Man's first great Mass Attack upon cancer by organized research in Laboratories of outstanding medical institutions intensive study goes forward the National Academy of Sciences through its National research Council has selected 90 eminent Specialists to guide and coordinate the work a work so vast that it is far more costly than all former efforts combined a work the American people must continuously support by its contributions now there's just one thing more Mrs Bronson the doctor must have your permission to perform a complete operation for cancer if he finds that cancer is present Mrs Bronson agrees wholeheartedly if there's any there let's get rid of it fast by now Mrs Bronson is a minor Authority on the subject [Music] herself the biopsy itself is a fairly minor operation but the excitement comes later when the tumor has been removed the operation must be stopped in mid-flight until the pathologist can bring in a verdict the tumor is harmless or cancerous the lump has been removed the pathologist looks at it briefly it must be examined in the laboratory immediately in order to make the necessary microscopic examination a very small piece of the tissue is removed and this tiny section must then be frozen this is done simply to harden it so that it may be sliced to a very thin wafer special equipment quickly freezes the tissue [Music] meanwhile in surgery the operating team is waiting the surgeon's hands in the air to keep them sterile nothing moves but the clock waiting waiting the wafer is put on a slide and the slide is then heated to speed up the process now the slide must be dyed to identify exactly the cells the pathologist needs to see in a moment he'll have the answer and surgery will know whether a minor biopsy is to be finished or a vitally important cancer operation is to be performed which will it be and here is the answer the tissue is healthy Mary Bronson does not have cancer the ugly nagging fear that plagued her has been banished in the only way it can be banished by a complete scientific examination her own physician our friend Dr Addison is on hand to give her the good news the moment she's awake you can leave the hospital in a couple of days Mary and you can start smiling [Music] [Applause] again filled with relief and gratitude Mrs Bronson returns to the office of the American Cancer Society as others have helped her she is determined to help others she volunteers for any type of work in the fight against cancer some of the work is routine such as preparing surgical dressings but some of it is interesting and exciting such as radio talks helping to educate the public in the facts about [Applause] cancer some is very rewarding such as lightening the hours of of lonely children in terminal Care at the Blood Donor Center she learns a lively and unusual task how to type [Music] blood and there are many helpful and gratifying duties as a nurse's aid it includes fund solicitation and let each who passes her consider tomorrow those dimes and dollars may help save me from cancer but her greatest thrill comes in the knowledge that she is helping to Save a Life when she brings in a neighbor who has a cancer symptom but is afraid to find out for sure anytime cancer is suspected delay may be fatal the only sure way to triumph over cancer is to catch it early time is life