Despite Scientific Advancements, Here Are the Reasons Why We Haven’t Found A Cure For Cancer

5Cancer is elusive

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.

Image Source: medicalnewstoday.com

6Cancer gene identification

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.

Image Source: www.web-books.com

7Diagnosis

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.

Image Source: baomoi.com

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.