The Cure?The path to the cure for cancer remains blocked with obstacles. Will there even be the reward we seek at the end? Are cures even possible? When will we reach the end?
I do not know. Scientists do not know. No one is certain of the answer. That does not mean there is no hope. Research over the past decades have advanced treatment very far. Cancer is no longer the death sentence it was a century ago. More and more patients today have survived and rid themselves of the disease. And so, here are my, and a few others' opinions on this subject. |
Below are several examples of opinions and advances on the cure for cancer. Each example comes with a link to the page, and a very short summary. These opinions have helped inform me and shape my very own answer to my essential question.
NPR: Unstoppable Killer?It was found in a study conducted by researchers from many institutions, that hydra- a coral-like organism that existed millions of years ago, also form tumors similar to those in humans. This means to completely cure cancer, you have to interfere with some natural processes of nature itself. It's very difficult to do, they say, and as a result, cancer may never be completely eradicated.
ACS: Can we cure cancer?Top minds in cancer research say a cure is possible, and some cancers already have cures. Yet, there is still a long way to go. As said by Otis Brawley, “Cancer will not be cured this year. But we should do all we can to ensure 2016 is remembered as the year we came together in an effort to work smartly, and with all the resources we needed, to harness the power in our hands to reduce the devastating impact of cancer.”
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WebMD: Closer to a Cure
Milton Wright III developed leukemia for a third time, an encounter most others do not survive. However, he entered a clinical trial testing a new type of immunotherapy. After a short period of about two to three weeks, his leukemia was completely eradicated from his body. Milton is one of many patients who have received this new treatment, and benefited from it. It may be developed more to become a potential cure for all types of cancer.
NIU: Will there be a cure for cancer in our lifetimes?
Most likely not. However, instead of a single cure, more refined treatments are being made. Better detectivity methods and therapies are improving the quality and longevity of cancer patients. Some promising areas of research are those in metabolic changes in cancer and drugs targeting features unique to cancer cells. This research leads to much more individualized treatments. A downside, however, is the cost of such research.
CNN: Is the cure for cancer real or rhetoric?
President Obama's State of the Union address announced a new effort to cure cancer. Is that realistic? Nope. As Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the ACS says, "I firmly believe 50, 100 even 1,000 years from now, there will be people dying of cancer." However, he also mentions how much more promising our fight looks. Death rates are down 23% in the past 21 years. Surviving and living with cancer is becoming more manageable.
An advancement in treatment
The following article is an example of how far treating cancer has become. Instead of generic chemotherapy and radiation, and hoping for the best, scientists are developing more and more ways to combat cancer using drugs and the immune system. Cancer uses many tricks, such as proteins that put immune system cells to "sleep". New drugs have been discovered to reawaken sleeping cells, and cause them to start working against cancerous cells.
My Answer
And now, it is time for my own answer to my question.
I agree with many of the scientists who think a "cure", as in a total eradication of cancer, will never be possible. While a cure probably will not be found, I do think that our technology and knowledge of the disease will advance far enough so that cancer will seem like nothing but a harmless flu. At the end of our lifetime, we may live in a world where diagnosis and treatment will be incredibly effective and inexpensive. No longer will cancer be the deadly killer it was once.
I agree with many of the scientists who think a "cure", as in a total eradication of cancer, will never be possible. While a cure probably will not be found, I do think that our technology and knowledge of the disease will advance far enough so that cancer will seem like nothing but a harmless flu. At the end of our lifetime, we may live in a world where diagnosis and treatment will be incredibly effective and inexpensive. No longer will cancer be the deadly killer it was once.