We have landed on the moon almost five decades ago, we have sequenced the human genome, we have watched celestial bodies in deep space and also very recently acquired signals from the time of the big bang itself. We have found the God particle and created Robotic prostheses that can be controlled by the mind, yet we have not found a cure for cancer.
In the USA alone, 1,688,780 cases were projected in 2017 of which 600,920 were estimated to die from cancer in the same year. In men, the risk of cancer is 20% higher which reveals a lot about lifestyle factors causing the disease. The most common forms of cancer in the USA are breast, prostate, lung, colorectal, and skin cancer where lung cancer is considered the highest killer among all forms of cancer in the USA.
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Even as we speak scientists have made research-oriented discoveries related to cancer. They have been able to identify 110 genes that increase the risk of breast cancer, perhaps you may have read years ago equally amazing facts about the advancements in cancer treatment yet there is no established cure for cancer. Just last month scientists in Stanford have created a vaccine that proved effective against lung, breast and skin cancer in MICE using stem cells. But will we ever see a dawn of a cancer-free society? The following are the reasons why there is no effective cure for cancer as yet.
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The answer is doubtful simply because it takes about of logical thinking here. Cancer, unlike other diseases, isn’t exactly one specific disease. It is a term implied to malignancy and degradation of cancerous cells infecting the good cells of the body. The cure for cancer doesn’t lie in the cure itself but rather it lies in the accurate identification of the factors that cause such cells to mutate into cancerous cells. It is timely diagnosis and identification that can cure the disease rather than attempting to cure it when it is too late. Moreover, it involves awareness to dispel all the myths that are projected as cancer miracle cures that can actually do harm than good.
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One of the mina reasons for the reason of no cancer cure is that cancer isn’t just one disease. There are hundreds of different cancers that are characterized by mutated cell growth. All of these arise from different causes like ionizing radiation, viruses, chemicals, diet, lifestyle and low immunity and untreated inflammation. There are different treatments for different types of cancers. Although much progress has been made in cancers like child leukaemia where today the survival rate is 80%, still cancer remains elusive in other forms.
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The cancer cells once taking hold of the body are always elusive and unpredictable. If a cure for one type of mutation is found, cancer cells may find another way. In cancer cell division, the DNA is copied in a perfect way and if that remains consistent, it would be easy for scientists to identify that and find a cure to target it. But with each division, new changes are made to the DNA and you have millions of cells in your body. This is why even if a drug kills one type of cell, the others still remain.
There are other common capabilities of cancer cells like apoptosis or evasion of programmed cell death. This creates a source of blood from surrounding tissue and evades the immune system. It invades the blood or circulatory system to travel to other organs of the body like the liver, lung, and bone.
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Over the last decade, it has now become possible to measure the level of the expression of thousands of genes simultaneously. Earlier this wasn’t the case. But this has proved how individual genes don’t cause cancer but hundreds and thousands which create complex networks of interactions. Research is targeting a certain class of genes called microRNA which regulate the expressions of hundreds of genes. It’s like targeting the seniors to reveal and keep the lower hierarchy in check. miRNA may also reveal how cancer develops rather than looking at the entire profile of genes.
The biggest problem for scientists in cancer research is that there are few cancers whose genes can be identified. As mentioned cancer involves changes in the expression of thousands of genes. It’s like searching a needle in a haystack.
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This is the most discerning fact of cancer which when invading a body doesn’t exactly have the power to cause widespread infection or death. It takes many years for a normal cell to mutate into a cancer cell capable of metastasis and killing the host. This is why cancer is a complex disease.
The problem with cancer is that the early symptoms of the disease mimic symptoms of common diseases. What is commonly mistaken for IBS or abdominal problems resulting in frequent constipation and diarrhea together could be early warning signs of cancer in the abdomen. Although it may not always be the case, there is no harm in early tests ruling out more serious disease adhering to the saying “prevention is better than cure.” There are several methods of discerning breast cancer in its early stages but we often dismiss such things. According to WHO world health organization, early diagnosis of cancer increases the chances of successful treatment.
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Some of the reasons why cancers are diagnosed late
• Poor awareness of cancer signs and symptoms
• Worried that the doctor will find something more serious
• Delay in hospital appointments
• Dismissal of cancer for some common disease
• Habituated to self-medication for common conditions
• Resorting to alternative forms of medicine boosting cancer instead Read an extension of this on the next point carefully)
• Inflammation and quack medicines.
According to scientists, inflammation leads to cancer. The biggest example is how GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease leads to inflammation of the lower esophagus. If not treated, it can result in a change of the cells called Barret’s esophagus that in turn leads to esophageal cancer.
Inflammation is a part of the immune system so when you take anti-inflammatory medicine, you suppress part of the immune system to reduce inflammation. Scientists believe that activation of certain parts of the immune system can suppress cancer while activation of other parts can make tumors increase or progress. This again leads to why doctors write off alternative medicines that boast of curing cancer by boosting the immune system because according to the logic of cancer, boosting immunity in some cases is good while in other conditions according to the cancer is bad.
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This leads us to another terrifying fact of antioxidants which every other medical site advocates the use of as a means to kill cancer. While antioxidants are good for health, they could also increase cancer in certain cases. That is the saddest paradox and controversial fact you will read here. Cancer researchers don’t believe that antioxidants kill cancer period. This is entirely because the very process (ROS) that is good for cells by which oxygen is metabolized and which antioxidants promote are also used by cancer cells to progress and kill the cell. If ROS increases, it damages the cell and that’s what cancer seeks to do.
Thus if antioxidants are good for your cells, they are also bad because research at the University of Texas found that antioxidants work on cancer cells to strengthening them and charging them up in the process resulting in cell damage and spread of cancer. But! Don’t be confused, the simplest way to prevent this is never to believe the miracle cures you read on the internet unless they are backed by studies or research. Eat healthy and live healthy is the mantra for good health. AND!! Always consult your doctor before taking any supplements.
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The worst problem in cancer treatment with chemotherapy is the elusive factor again. Chemo may kill even large tumors but the drug may not find the cancer stem cells that evade it. This is what causes a relapse.
As effective as chemo may be in cancer being the most preferred treatment as of now, the biggest problem is that while killing cancer cells, chemo also affects healthy cells too which is why those undergoing chemo experience body changes like hair fall. Weakness and general debility. Chemo also weakens the immune system considerably which effect can last up to 9 months; This is why a patient again becomes vulnerable to other infections. In effect, when undergoing chemo, your immunity is compromised to the extent that your body can’t really support the fight against the disease and has to rely totally on the effects of the drugs entering your body like a heavy sword that although you need to lift to fight enemies with, the heaviness keeps weakens you in the act.
Chemo targets the bone marrow which results in decreased production of red blood cells and white blood cells. Only healthy lifestyles and diet, as well as supplements issued by doctors, can again rejuvenate your body.
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This is another problem that is a matter of extreme controversy. While research requires animal models for testing to make discoveries and test proposed medical treatments, the lack of animal models prevents or retards the progress of science. One of the factors is the lifespan of animal models like mice who live only two years where it requires a longer time to gauge the effectiveness of the medicine. Then there is the factor of animal rights groups who advocate strongly the removal of animals from labs.
It is animal research that has lead to the recent advancements in cancer research and without animals, we would still be in a limbo where cancer is concerned and most probably still flummoxed by cancer.
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Even as research and discovery have enabled man to make the correct lifestyle and food choices, we still tend to give into temptation. Sedentary lifestyles and fast food are one of the deadliest combines that besides promote obesity are also introducing cancer into our bodies. While processed food and sugary food introduces the toxins that trigger the onset of cancer, the lack of physical activity weakens us in counteracting such effects leading to disease other than cancer which weakens us from inside. As a result, cancers take hold of our bodies more effectively making treatment difficult to arrest the progression of cancer.
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If this article scared you, it shouldn’t. Instead, it should be regarded as an awareness of the disease that can influence your decisions to lead a healthier life. In spite of the unanimous decision that cancer is winning, they are also optimistic about new discoveries like genomic medicine that targets the specific faulty genes and the paths responsible for the spread of the disease. Immunotherapy is also being hailed as a new approach to help immune cells increase anti-cancer activity. But as of now, only mice are benefitting and trials need to begin with animals with longer lifespans and human trials. Eliminating smoking altogether could help eradicate lung cancer. Diets that avoid sugar-based foods, unhealthy carbs, processed and fast food but rich in vegetables and whole grains can reduce the risk of the disease to a great extent.
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