The Cures for Cancer - Essay Example

Cancer-Is it Curable Cancer, inspite of years of research and medical advancement, is still a formidable disease, which defies any known or proved cure. According to Wikipedia, cancer which is medically called malignant neoplasm, is a class of diseases in which a group of cells display the traits of uncontrolled growth (growth and division beyond the normal limits), invasion (intrusion on and destruction of adjacent tissues), and sometimes metastasis (spread to other locations in the body via lymph or blood). The fact that cancer cells are uncontrolled, invade or metastasize help them to be classified as 'malignant'. Cancer can be treated by surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, monoclonal antibody therapy or other methods.Any cancer treatment aims at the complete removal of cancer cells ,without damaging the tissues of the rest of the body. Sometimes this can be accomplished by surgery, but the tendency of cancers to invade adjacent tissue or to spread to distant sites by microscopic metastasis often limits its effectiveness. The success of chemotherapy is often limited by toxicity to other tissues in the body. Radiation can also cause damage to normal tissue. Identifying causes of cancer and developing strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatments and cure of it ,form the major objectives of cancer research. Cancer research ranges from epidemiology, molecular bioscience (bench research) to the performance of clinical trials to guage and correlate applications of the various cancer treatment. These applications include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy, and combined treatment modalities such as chemo-radiotherapy. The attention in clinical cancer research has shifted towards therapies derived from biotechnology research, such as immunotherapy and gene therapy, since the 1990s. The Cures for Cancer The effectiveness of the various different cures and treatments for cancer can be analysed individually. According to the American Cancer Society, surgery is the oldest form of cancer treatment. It also has an important role in diagnosing and finding the extent of cancer. Advances in surgical techniques have allowed surgeons to successfully operate on a growing number of patients. Today, less invasive operations often can be done to remove tumors while saving as much normal tissue and function as possible. Surgery offers the greatest chance for cure for many types of cancer, especially those that have not spread to other parts of the body. Most people with cancer will have some type of surgery. While different types of surgeries are performed in relation to cancer, it is curative surgery that is done to treat cancer primarily. Curative surgery is done when a tumor appears to be confined to one area and it is likely that all of the tumor can be removed. It may be used alone or along with chemotherapy or radiation therapy, which can be given before or after the operation. Sometimes radiation therapy is actually used during an operation. This is called intraoperative radiation therapy. The medical use of ionizing radiation as part of cancer treatment to control cancer cells is called radiotherapy . Radiotherapy may be used for curative or adjuvant cancer treatment. Chemotherapy refers to the use of antineoplastic drugs to treat cancer. Tumors with high growth fractions (such as acute myelogenous leukemia and the aggressive lymphomas, including Hodgkin's disease) are more sensitive to chemotherapy as chemotherapy affects cell-division and also as a larger proportion of the targeted cells are undergoing cell division at any time. Malignancies with slower growth rates, such as indolent lymphomas do not respond as well to chemotherapy. According to Wikipedia,hormonal therapy is one of the major modalities of medical treatment for cancer. Hormonal therapy involves the engineering of the endocrine system through exogenous administration of specific hormones, particularly steroid hormones, or drugs which inhibit the production or activity of such homones (hormone antagonists). Changing the levels or activity of certain hormones can cause certain cancers to cease growing, or even undergo cell death. Surgical removal of endocrine organs, such as orchiectomy and oophorectomy can also be employed as a form of hormonal therapy.Hormonal therapy is used for several types of cancers derived from hormonally responsive tissues, including the breast, prostate, endometrium, and adrenal cortex. Perhaps the most familiar example of hormonal therapy in oncology is the use of the selective estrogen-response modulator tamoxifen for the treatment of breast cancer, although another class of hormonal agents, aromatase inhibitors, now have an expanding role in that disease. Cancer immunotherapy attempts to activate the immune system to reject and destroy tumors. BCG immunotherapy for early stage (non-invasive) bladder cancer utilizes instillation of attenuated live bacteria into the bladder, and is effective in preventing recurrence in up to two thirds of cases. Topical immunotherapy utilizes an immune enhancement cream (imiquimod) which is an interferon producer causing the patients own killer T cells to destroy warts, actinic keratoses, basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, cutaneous lymphoma, and superficial malignant melanoma. Gene therapy is an experimental treatment that involves introducing genetic material into a person's cells to fight or prevent disease. Gene treatment combined with standard chemotherapy, leads to results better than those normally obtained by chemotherapy alone. BBC News reports about a study published in the journal Nature Medicine about tumours that shrank in 25 out of 30 patients who underwent this particular type of gene therapy. In only 17% of the patients did the tumours progress. In eight patients, the tumour disappeared completely - and had not returned by the time the trial reported. This is an improvement over previous tests using only gene therapy, in which the tumours disappeared - but swiftly returned when treatment ended. Wikipedia also lists among other cures, anti-cancer vaccine - based on exposing some cancer cells extracted from a tumour to UV rays for 24 hrs then injecting them back into the organism. This approach has already been successful on rats. Certain natural therapies,outside the control of mainstream medicine like amazon herbs (like graviola), licorice root, oxygen therapy, sunlight therapy, the injection of phytochemicals from spirulina directly in cancer tumors, the use of fucoidan supplements (which are extracted from sea vegetables), antineoplastins (pioneered by Dr. Burzynski), phytochemicals found in apricot pits (laetrile) have been found to prevent and reverse cancer in many forms. Alternative and natural therapies like herbal, mind-body, metabolic and immunology therapies when supplemented with conventional cancer care have proved to be beneficial and effective in the cure of cancer. Herbal Therapy is probably the oldest form of treatment in the world. In these, herbs are used to strengthen the body's ability to eliminate cancer cells. The Hoxey therapy, for instance, employs internal and external preparations along with diet, vitamin and mineral supplements, and psychological counseling, to strengthen the body and fight cancer. Essiac is one of the most popular and widely recognized herbal therapies known. China recognizes essiac products as an effective drug for the battle against cancer. Mind-body therapies focus on the role of emotions, behavior and faith in the recovery from an illness. Some use counseling, hypnosis, biofeedback and other techniques to promote greater emotional and spiritual well-being. With others, the aim is to use mind-body techniques to actually change the course of the illness, possibly bringing the person into remission. Visualization techniques help patients increase the effectiveness of their immune system Metabolic therapy is based on the idea that many factors contribute to the occurrence of cancer. It is a multi-faceted healing approach used to help eliminate the disorder. These therapies use detoxification, including colon cleansing, to flush out toxins; anticancer diets based on whole foods; and vitamins, minerals, and enzymes which further cleanse the body, repair damaged tissues and stimulate the immune system. Dr. Max Gerson's therapy is one such regime. His therapy is based on a diet of organically grown fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as nutritional supplements. Immunology therapy is based on the belief that cancer develops because of a breakdown of the immune system. These therapies are aimed at bolstering those parts of the immune system that combat and destroy cancer cells. Dr. Virginia Livingston uses vaccines, diet, nutritional supplements and gamma globulin to help combat cancers. Some therapies in this category use "fever therapies". So is cancer curable It is common knowledge that while some are cured, some others are not. There are factors like the type of cancer, how advanced it is and how well it responds to treatment, which decide whether the particular case can be cured or not. It must be noted that cancer is not a single disease but there are numerous different kinds of cancer and each type has a different chance of cure. People with breast cancer, bowel cancer, testicular cancer, skin cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma have better chances of cure than those with cancers of the lung, pancreas and the stomach. It is always easier to cure cancer when it is diagnosed in its early stages rather than in the later stages when it has spread to other parts of the body.However, cancers that are sensitive to treatment like Hodgkin lymphoma or testicular cancer can still be cure even when the cancer has developed secondaries. However, it must be made clear that modern day cancer treatments are routinely curing cancers that were completely incurable fifty or sixty years ago. A study by Peter J Moran states that at least half of all invasive cancerscan now cured permanently. Most commonly cured are primary (i.e. localized) solid cancersthatare diagnosed before they have a chance to spread (metastasize) or invade vital structures. To these can be addedmany cases of leukemia, lymphoma and childhood cancer. Metastatic cancers still have the poorest cure rates.He concludes his study by saying that the overallpermanent cure rate of cancer lies in the vicinity of 50%,and is improving. The Dismal Picture American Cancer society's "Cancer Facts and Figures 2008"presents a dismal picture of cancer cure in the US. According to its report, "This year, about 565,650 Americans are expected to die of cancer, more than 1,500 people a day. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US, exceeded only by heart disease. In the US, cancer accounts for 1 of every 4 deaths. The 5-year relative survival rate for all cancers diagnosed between 1996 and 2003 is 66%, up from 50% in 1975-1977 (see page 18). The improvement in survival reflects progress in diagnosing certain cancers at an earlier stage and improvements in treatment. Survival statistics vary greatly by cancer type and stage at diagnosis". All studies point to the fact that if cancer, of any type is diagnosed in its early stages, then it stands a good chance of cure. So what prevents doctors and patients to diagnose the deadly disease in its early stages The total lack of symptoms can be one of the reasons for late diagnosis and treatment. Most cancers do not show any symptoms until they are in their advanced stages. A devastating lack of awareness about the symptoms and diagnosis also plays a vital role in cancers being incurable. There has been extensive study of all common cancers showing that cure rates can range from virtually 100% to virtually zero, depending on cancer type, stage and aggressiveness.Studies undertaken in the US show thatdeaths from cancer remained ator below about half that of the number of new cases of cancer over a thirty-year period.In the year 2002 estimated cancer deaths in the USA were 555,500, and new cases of cancer 1,284,900, suggesting an overallcure rate of cancer approaching57%.In 2001 there were 36,913 deaths from cancer in Australia and 88,398 new cases, suggesting a cure rate running at about 58%, very close to the USA figure. While some cancers like skin cancer, bowel cancer, and testicular cancer have good chances of being cured, there are other cancers which mean certain death of the patient. Among major cancers, pancreatic cancer is the least curable. Pancreatic cancer often has a poor prognosis, even when diagnosed early. Pancreatic cancer typically spreads rapidly and is seldom detected in its early stages, which is a major reason why it's a leading cause of cancer death. Signs and symptoms may not appear until pancreatic cancer is quite advanced and surgical removal isn't possible. Of the 30,000 Americans who get the bad news this year, a few hundred survive to celebrate the one-year anniversary of their diagnosis. The standard therapy for pancreatic cancer at present is a drug called gemcitabine. It often makes patients feel better but statistically it adds a matter of days to their lives. Lung cancer is responsible for the most cancer deaths in both men and women throughout the world. The American Cancer Society estimates that 213,380 new cases of lung cancer in the U.S. were diagnosed and 160,390 deaths due to lung cancer occurred in 2007. Lung cancer remains among the most common types of cancers in both men and women worldwide. Survival rates for treated limited-stage small cell cancer are about 40% at two years and 10% at three years. Localised non-small cell tumours less than 3 cm in diameter have a 70% survival rate five years after resection A case study of a patient with lung cancer and his eventual fate as quoted in the article "Article: Oncology for GPs: Lung Cancer" Phillip was a fifty year old newsagent who had been smoking since his teenage years. He exercised regularly at the local gym and maintained a healthy weight. He blamed his lobar pneumonia on his heavy workload and the cool air in the mornings when he was delivering newspapers. His fever and pain settled within 10 days of antibiotics and he felt well. His follow-up x-ray two weeks later had a persistent opacity close to the hilum in the right middle lobe. We discussed the implications. A subsequent CT scan revealed a 5 cm mass but no significant (>1cm) mediastinal nodes. He understood the importance of stopping smoking and agreed to do so then and there. We talked about the future. I made Phillip an appointment with a cardiothoracic surgeon and sent with him his chest x-rays and CT scans, an FBC, LFTs, spirometry and a detailed history. The surgeon referred Phillip to a physician for bronchoscopy and biospy, which led to a diagnosis of non-small cell cancer. Taking into account the size of the tumour and the CT findings, this was staged as T2 N0 M0. With the diagnosis established, education of the patient is largely the responsibility of the GP. We discussed his treatment and prognosis and I gave him a copy of the Queensland Cancer Fund publication 'Understanding Cancer of the Lung'. Thoracotomy revealed a more extensive tumour than predicted. He underwent right total pneumonectomy with removal of nodes for biopsy. One of the six nodes was directly invaded. Phillip recovered well and was discharged on prophylactic digoxin with a request for me to watch his levels and maintain him on a therapeutic dose. Because of his mediastinal node involvement, he was referred to a radiation oncologist and completed six weeks of treatment with minimal side effects. He complained of heartburn due to radiation oesophagitis and achieved reasonable control with simple antacids. Two months after diagnosis he was back running the newsagency. Two years later he bought his daughter in with a bout of gastroenteritis. She was nearing final exams. When I asked how he was he complained he was terribly out of condition, becoming short of breath after walking only short distances. He had had to employ someone to carry and lift for him. I suggested he make an appointment to see me. There were nodes in the right supraclavicular area and his voice was hoarse. Chest x-ray showed fluffy opacities throughout the left lung. Gently, I brought him around to the realisation of what he was facing. The chest physician confirmed my diagnosis of metastatic disease and local recurrence. Treatment of Phillip's disease at this stage involved only rationalisation of his lifestyle. Once the shop was sold, he was able to enjoy some months with his family. He played nine holes of golf twice a week with the help of a buggy, and was able to watch the boys ' football matches and attend his daughter's graduation. Just before Christmas he limped into my office complaining of severe pain in his left hip. A bone scan revealed secondaries in his left hip, skull and ribs. Palliative radiotherapy provided very good pain relief for three months until he sustained pathological fracture. The symptoms then became overwhelming . Phillip was treated at home with the help of his family and palliative care nurses. They were given my home phone number and encouraged to use it freely. Dyspnoea and pain were relieved using an air separator to provide oxygen and a syringe-driver to deliver subcutaneous morphine. Purgatives, tricyclic antidepressants and dexamethasone were added when they became necessary. On the night he died, his family and I shared a tear and a coffee at the kitchen table, as we had often done over the previous weeks. To my horror, son Danny and daughter Gail lit up cigarettes! Improvements arising through advances in our understanding of oncogenesis and refinements in the treatment of lung cancer are far less significant than the benefit that would result from eliminating smoking. It is imperative to repeat it in the conclusion that cancer is not a single disease and therefore cannot be generalized as curable or incurable. The type of cancer, its stage and its response to treatment decide whether it is curable or not. Works Cited Wikipedia.14 April 2008 American Cancer Society BBC News. Health. 1 August, 2000 "Gene therapy cancer treatment success" 14 April 2008 Quit Now. "Article: Oncology for GPs: Lung Cancer"14 April 2008 Read More