I constantly hear one joke/comment all the time: "So have you found a cure to cancer yet?" I'd laugh and say something like "Not yet, but I'm close". The truth is, as most scientists will agree there will never be a cure to cancer.
I'm not saying this to scare you, but in reality the disease was described before we really knew a lot about it. In reality the word cancer is a word to describe hundred separate diseases caused by thousands of factors.
We will (hopefully sooner than later) find a treatment for each different kind of cancer. But the more we learn about them the more we learn how different they are.
Below is a schematic of a cancer cell (one type of cancer) showing what scientists know about how that cell functions:
Look confusing? Keep in mind this is only an image of what's going on in that cell. It doesn't take into consideration how that cell interacts/signals other adjacent cells (cancer and normal) and it doesn't account for another widely studied area of cancer research called angiogenesis. Angiogenesis means the growth/distribution of new blood vessels. Tumors are certainly living and therefore need a blood supply so researchers are also target the blood vessels supplying these tumors.
So when researchers develop a drug that selectively targets a cancer type, that is HUGE. As you can see from the one (of thousands of diagrams out there), we have learned a lot but there is still so much more to learn. That is why supporting research is more important than ever.
Below is a table listing the estimated new cases and deaths for each common cancer type. Please note this does not include cancers with < 40,000.
As you can see, for several cancer types the % survival is good. But there is still a lot of work to be done.
Still interested?? There's a great reader-friendly monthly bulletin by the National Cancer Institute that will keep you update on month-to-month research progress. Also, please don't hesistate to contact me with any questions you might have translating any science lingo.
As you can see, for several cancer types the % survival is good. But there is still a lot of work to be done.
Cancer Type | Estimated New Cases | Estimated Deaths |
Bladder | 70,530 | 14,680 |
Breast (Female – Male) | 207,090 – 1,970 | 39,840 – 390 |
Colon and Rectal (Combined) | 142,570 | 51,370 |
Endometrial | 43,470 | 7,950 |
Kidney (Renal Cell) Cancer | 53,581 | 11,997 |
Leukemia | 43,050 | 21,840 |
Lung (Including Bronchus) | 222,520 | 157,300 |
Melanoma | 68,130 | 8,700 |
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma | 65,540 | 20,210 |
Pancreatic | 43,140 | 36,800 |
Prostate | 217,730 | 32,050 |
Thyroid | 44,670 | 1,690 |
Still interested?? There's a great reader-friendly monthly bulletin by the National Cancer Institute that will keep you update on month-to-month research progress. Also, please don't hesistate to contact me with any questions you might have translating any science lingo.
Wow, no wonder it's such a hard disease to cure. That graphic is so complex!
ReplyDeleteMy mentor recently died from pancreatic cancer. It's a complete death sentence.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking a lot more about cancer recently, as more people I care about have had it. I really wish there was a 100% fool-proof cure... but even if it's not totally preventable, I am trying my best to learn the risk-reduction strategies.
Thanks for posting. This is really important for people to see. Especially, because there are a lot of skeptics who think a cure has already been found. I think people believe all cancer is the same and this shows how complex it really is. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhat is your opinion on people that say we won't cure it because there is too much money in it. Meaning too much money being made by Pharma.
ReplyDeleteI have heard the same thing said of Diabetes and other diseases. That if there were a cure, then Big Pharma wouldn't make money.
This is really interesting. I think cancer is something that hits too close to home for just about everyone. Thanks for sharing with us, I am definitely going to check out the National Cancer Institute bulletin.
ReplyDeleteVery cool post. Keep up the good work and thanks for the reminder of how important is to donate to cancer research. You're right - still so much to learn about it!
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