Cancer is a short 1953 film produced by Encyclopaedia Britannica Films in collaboration with William B. Wartman, M.D., of Northwestern University’s School of Medicine. The short film describes common cancers and their symptoms as well as the current methods of cancer detection and treatment. Graphics (02:15) reveal how cancer cells spread and become malignant tumors, which can often be treated because of advances in cancer research. Advanced equipment at hospitals, such as the x-ray fluoroscope (03:18, 11:48) and the gastroscope, allow cancer specialists to identify and locate cancerous growths early on. Treatment options include using x-ray machines (06:48, 11:43) to destroy cancer cells, which the narrator refers to as x-ray treatment (radiation therapy), as well as surgery (07:08) to remove malignant growth. Graphics are again used to show the common types of cancer in males and females (07:19). The film then discusses possible causes of cancer, including excessive exposure to sun and wind such as a farmer regularly driving his tractor (08:03), chronic irritation to a part of the body such as smoking, or exposure to radiation or chemicals. The seven danger signs of cancer are sores that do not heal, a lump or thickening in the breast or elsewhere, unusual bleeding or discharge, any change in a wart or mole, persistent indigestion or difficulty swallowing, persistent hoarseness or cough, and any change in normal bowel habits. The film advises viewers to not wait to seek medical attention, and that cancer is not just a threat to the elderly.

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