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United States Senate Dear Senator Eastland: - Thts is tn response to your communication of in which you tra a dt ted a letter from of Ve appredate concern regarding the future of the Medical D€vision of the Oak Ridge Associated Universitiee {OXAU) . Tt i s rewarding t o hear of specific instances in which the vork carried on in t!ie ORAU Medical Divi6f.011 has benefitad cancer patients like.Ihc AEC does not fntead to cut back the cancer prograsr but rather to seek to rmke i t GOY 1 effective by instituting certain chaoges. Tnc feasibility of naintaininq 8clinical research facility i n the relatively suial; cc nm d ty of Oak Ridge has been under consideration for sever;:? years. problem in part is due to substandard physical facilities which do not neet criteria for certification by accredftn:ioa and expenditure would be required to bring the clinical unit up t o an acceptable standard. and plysickana revifmed the program of the Nedical .,:vision last spring and pointed out that Oak Ridge lacks the pcki ~ atio nocd referral characteristics requfred to sustain c1inic.J investigation of the scope aad quality called for by the GM UX zL ~ c a lDivision A considerable and probably unacceptable . tration explore the possibility of integrating the - 1in ical act iv it iea into eie East Tennessee Cancer Research . - snter at the University Memorial nospital i n Knoxville where a I*-CB sd table environment for clinical investigation might be found and the senices offered by the unit might reach a larger gymp of
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it La not likely that patients who are be ha treated at Oak Ridge now would be diecouragcd from continuing to receive their treatment Xn view of the praximtty of Oak RFdge t o Knoxville, The aegotlations between the OUU administration on the one hand and officials of the East Tennessee Cancer Research Center and the University Nemrial Hospital on the other are now i n progress. We hope that t!!e negotiations will result i n greater productivity of these organizations i n the fom of an improved output of cmcer reeearch as well ae services to cancer patteate. In the meantime, w e hope that: the cornunity will appreciate the need for frequent reappraisal of the programs t h a t we support to guarantee that thosz programs will continuo to be as fruitful as possible. and other members of We e hall be happy t o furnish Division of Bi'omcdical and
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a GEN-MANAGER 0 GEN. COUNSEL 0 INFO. SERVICES 0 DIR. REGULATION 0 PLAN. & ANAL. SECRETARY
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To The Oak Ridger: Would you start a guinea pig with cancer on a method Of chemotherapy to try to cure it and in the middle of the experiment discontinue the medicine with little or no con’ cern about the animal or the outcome of the experiment? Of course, you would not. Well, that is basically what the officials of AEC are forcing the mearch physicians at the Oak Ridge research center to do with lheir cancer victims - not guinea pigs but human beings of whom many have been fortunate enough to have their lives prolonged by the treatment they have received them. Contrary to what has been reported in the press, on Sept 20 an official of ORAU wrote all their patients re.ferring them back to the family physician, telling them that the hospital would be closed on Nov. 15, and that all treatment would be discontinued Dec. 15, 1974. This action has certainly lelt the cancer victim in such a dilemma that he literally does not knov which way to turn. When many of the cancer patients entered the research center, the research physician cessful experimental methal of chemotherapy to try to find a cure for cancer or to find a better method of treatment so that the cancer patient’s life could be prolonged. If the treatment is discontinued, the patient might die in a short time; if the medicine is administered by a general practitioner, it so potentially dangerous that it may kill the The medicine, which is strong enough to reduce and control the growth of tumors, is so potentially hazardous that the specialist, who will ‘recognize minute symptoms of danger, must carefully observe the patient. An overdose or a reaction to the medicine could destroy the platelets, causing the patient to bleed to death; destroy the white blood cells, leaving the patient susceptible to many types of diseases; or poison the kidneys, causing immediate death. In many. cases, the types of cancers treated by these specialist are rare. The average practitioner does not understand the disease or the drugs or how to administer them. Yet, these officials are sending these cancer victims back to these While AEC is discontinuing the treatment and care of human beings, they are continuing the treatment and care of 450 cluding the erection of an ultra modern building with elaborate I believe that, if the government provides funds to begin a research project of this type, that they are ethically, morally, and legally responsible to provide the funds for the completion of the project. Congress is not responsible for the problem.that these ancer victims are having. They have increased the funding for the AEC Biomedical and Research Program from $105.7 million in 1974 to $134.5 million for 1975 - an increase of nearly $30 million from the previous fiscal year. In addition, an amendment was passed by the Senate increasing the total appropriation for cancer research to 755 million. Despite all these a g propria tions, the research physicians are being told that they can no longer be funded to continue these vital research projects. This is an outrage; one for which the American people should not stand. Therefore, I am asking all your readers to voice your opinion about this issue by contacting the officials of AEC, the legislature% the President, the National Cancer Institute, the National Cancer society, or any other organization that will in- I