SOVIET PERSONALITIES AND PAPERS AT THE SIXTH INTERNATIONAL CANCER CONGRESS, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00926A007500110001-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 25, 2001
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 28, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

DEC 1951 51-48
Approved For Release 2001/11/21 CIA-RDP80-00926AO07500110001-8
U.S. Officials Only
CONFIDENTIAL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY International/USSR
SUBJECT Soviet Personalities and Papers at the Sixth
International Cancer Congress, Sao Paulo, Brazil
PLACE ACQUIRED
(BY SOURCE)
DATE ACQUIRED 25X1C
(BY SOURCE)
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES. WITHIN THE MEANING OF TITLE IN, SECTIONS 793
AND 794. OF THE U.S. CODE. AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
PROMIRIT90 BY LAW. REPRODUCTION THIS REPORT
DATE D I STR .a8'Oct 54
NO. OF PAGES 2
NO. OF ENCLS.
SUPP. TO
REPORT NO.
Four Soviet cancer specialists attended the Sixth International Cancer Congress
in Sao Paulo. Although they presented papers, their names were not listed
either in the program of the congress or in the list of delegates who were ex-
pected to attend. I caught the name of only one of them, which was Professor
A I Savitskio He was introduced as the "Director of the Institute of Oncology"
which was, in turn, stated to be a branch of some other institute, the name of
which I do not recall.
2. The four Soviets spoke in Russian and, at the end of their talks, gave rather
vague and general answers to questions, through interpreters. They did not
participate in any social functions or group discussions. They appeared to be
under the general supervision of two sharp Semitic-looking women who were,7I
heard, members of the Comimmist Party of Brazil. The general subject matter
of the four papers presented by the Soviet delegates concerned cancer preven-
tion. A good deal of propaganda in the nature of a glorification of Soviet
medicine was mixed into the papers. From a scientific standpoint their
papers were not impressive inasmuch as they contained numerous extravagant
claims which were inadequately supported by clinical data. For example, the
Soviets claimed that by means of their cancer detection examinations, they
have largely eliminated mortality from pelvic cancer in women. They did not,
however, define the group of women reported on, nor did they describe any new
technique of examination or give any details of the actual examinations con-
ducted. Their answers to questions shed no light on either of these points.
I infer that the Soviets are using the same method of examination in efforts
to detect pelvic cancer as those used in the US. If so, their success is
almost unbelievable unless they were working with an extremely limited and
selected group of patients.
Similarly, the Soviets made extravagant claims concerning the ratio of re-
coveries from operations for stomach cancer. Their results, which claim to
cover a period of five years, were approximately five times more favorable
U.S. Officials Only C 3+770
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This report is for the use within the USA of the Intelligence components of the Departments or
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originating office through the Assistant Director of the Office of Collection and Dissemination, CIA.
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than those attained in any place in the western world. I consider these state-
ments unpersuasive because of the lack of clinical data adduced, because of the
vagueness of the Soviets' response to questions from the floor, and because no
suggestion. was contained in any of the papers that new techniques had been dis-
covered or adopted.
Livailable on loan from the CIA Library is a program and list of delegates of
the Sixth International Cancer Congress held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on 23-29 Jul
54. The program contains summaries of a number of the papers presented and is
printed in English, French and Portuguese
LIBRARY SUBJECT & AREA CODES
C-02-0615 1054
182.5 1 (3H) (N)
61+4.2 N
6857,317 N
5.2' N
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Approved For Release 2001/11/21 : CIA-RDP80-00926AO07500110001-8