Cancer - 3 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Chemotherapy and radiation have advanced so that in many cases the treatment can be customized to the patient and directed to attack only the malignant cells, leaving the healthy cells intact. Also, with the complete mapping of the human genome, it is easier to identify what genes are affected by the different types of cancers. When my grandfather was diagnosed over 60 years ago with lymphoma he was treated with mustard gas, which left him with gaping wounds. When I had breast cancer 5 years ago, I was able to better tolerate chemo because of medications designed to make the process a little easier (antihistimines, steroids, antinausea meds...)
2 :
Most advancements have been in detecting cancer rather than in treatment. There are a few new treatments though. Some of the more successful use a combination of angiogenesis inhibitors with a traditional treatment (chemo, radiation, surgery, etc). But there has been little or no progress toward a cure. Despite new detection methods and treatment, the death rate for cancer has dropped only 5% in the last 60 years! That is an absurd number compared to heart disease, which dropped 64% over the same amount of time. I think you'll find my source interesting. Edit: I saw this article today and thought of your question. (See my second source). Apparently this new drug reduced the size of inherited breast and prostate tumors in a trial.
3 :
The greatest advance has been the development of genetically engineered therapies to inhibit specific forms of cancer. The greatest single success story is probably Herceptin - the super drug that disrupts highly aggressive HER2+ breast cancer. Herceptin reduces HER2+ breast cancer recurrence by 30% to 50% . . . a stunningly large value in the world of cancer treatment. Over 100,000 women worldwide are projected to have already had their lives saved by Herceptin. Over the next 20 years, the cumulative number of lives saved by Herceptin will exceed 1,000,000.
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