On this day in 1961, The Canberra Times reported on the forming of an important society to fight cancer. What we now know as the Cancer Council started as the Australian Cancer Society and the inaugural meeting of delegates met on October 19, 1961.
The formation of the Australian Cancer Society was the biggest development in Australia in the previous 25 years in the fight against cancer, the President Cr Kilpatrick said.
Representatives from state bodies of anti cancer organisations formed a constitution for the Society. Initially, the organisation would be a guiding and coordinating body for the State Anti Cancer Councils. With the forming of an Australian Society, Australia had also become a member of the International Union Against Cancer which had 60 member nations.
From this, Australia was expected to learn more about what other nations were doing in their efforts to combat cancer.
The other big step planned was a national campaign in the prevention of cancer and the need for an early diagnosis. Cr Kilpatrick said that there were already curable cancers but people were still frightened to go to their doctors for their checkups.
The minister for health, Dr Cameron, told the society that fear was the greatest barrier against an early cure for cancer.
