Cancer by The National Library of Medicine

Cancer: The Problem of Early Diagnosis (NCI and American Cancer Society, 1949)

This film is an overview of the five most deadly forms of cancer and emphasizes the need for early detection. It shows the symptoms, maturation, examination, and effective treatment including the surgery for breast, cervix, stomach, rectum, and lung cancers. It gives statistics and mortality rates for each type. It also includes a dramatization of the 1881 first stomach cancer operation performed by Dr. Billroth in Vienna, Austria. Film says simple mastectomies have no place in cancer operations. Produced by the American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute.

Enemy X (USPHS, 1942)

"Enemy X" is a mysterious killer. People are found slumped over, the mark of the X on their bodies. This production with a dramatic opening turns out to be a film within a film, and evolves into a discussion of cancer, the number of deaths it causes annually, and how it can be identified and treated through regular physical examinations and attention to symptoms and signs. Members of the American Society for the Control of Cancer, including Director Clarence C. Little and Mrs. Marjorie G. Illig, Commander of the Women's Field Army, are featured.

The Reward of Courage [Silent] (American Society for the Control of Cancer, 1921)

A Rediscovered Cancer Film of the Silent Era In 1921 the American Society for the Control of Cancer released The Reward of Courage. The film, a silent melodrama, was designed to persuade viewers to visit a physician for regular checkups and at the first sign of the disease.

The Dentist and Cancer (American Cancer Society, 1966)

This program discusses the techniques dentists can use to detect oral cancer. The program begins with an examination of a patient who has had oral cancer and emphasizes the importance of early detection to prevent metastases. The program stresses that cancer in different oral sites presents with different problems. The presentation includes the symptoms, incidence and distribution of cancer of the lower lip, tongue and floor of the mouth. The program presents a routine examination with emphasis on the symptoms representative of cancer.

Cancer Among Veterans: Early Diagnosis (U.S. Veterans Administration, 1946)

This film describes cancers of the mouth, lip, throat, neck, eye, nose, and skin in both early and advanced, severe stages. It discusses the need for early diagnosis and treatment, probable causes of such cancers, the need for research, and the modern facilities available at the Veterans Hospital in Hines, Illinois. Produced by the U.S. Veterans Administration.

Drugs Against Cancer (NET Science, 1968)

In this film made for National Educational Television and Radio Center (NET), the search for anti-cancer properties in plants and animals is outlined. Workers are shown gathering plants and starfish, processing this material, and running studies on mice, rats, and monkeys to determine whether or not the extracted compound is efficacious in reducing tumor size or remitting leukemia. If the compound proves to be efficacious, it is analyzed to try to determine the active agent. Attempts are made to synthesize new cancer agents.

Choose to Live (USPHS, 1940)

Surgeon General Dr. Thomas Parran introduces this film by discussing the war against cancer. He says everyone is a possible cancer victim and that one in ten people die of cancer. The film dramatizes one woman's experience with cancer, showing how education about cancer removes fears and helps overcome the disease. Includes many shots of technicians performing research in laboratories at the National Institutes of Health with Dr. L.R. Thompson explaining the role of NIH in the war against cancer. Dr.

Malignant Tumors of the Lungs (Assn of American Medical Colleges, 1953)

This film shows, by means of cinefluorography, the normal lungs, bronchiogenic carcinoma, carcinoma with abscess formation, metastases of seminoma, and metastases of sarcoma with bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax. Learn more about this film and search its transcript at NLM Digital Collections: http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/8700985A. Learn more about the National Library of Medicine's historical audiovisuals program at: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/collections/films

Carcinoma of the Esophagus (Assn of American Medical Colleges, 1953)

This film shows, by means of cinefluorography and animation, the location of the esophagus and surrounding organs, various irregularities of the esophageal wall created by carcinomas, and the appearance of the area after radiation treatment. Learn more about this film and search its transcript at NLM Digital Collections: http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/8701004A.

The HeLa Cell Strain: Cervical Carcinoma (Assn of American Medical Colleges, 1956)

The purpose of this presentation is to describe and demonstrate the characteristics of the cultured cells taken originally from a patient with cervical carcinoma. This objective is achieved with the aid of time lapse photography taken at various speeds. In this presentation the harvesting of the cells and the preparation of the culture are first described and demonstrated in a step-by-step fashion. The development of the freshly transferred culture is then demonstrated as itis photographed at one frame per minute.