I'm watching a baseball game, and they are talking about prostate cancer research. Every HR, and 14,000 gets donated to prostate cancer research. 400 million has been raised to date (by whom, I'm not sure).
Anyway, I was wondering where all this money goes, and all of the other money raised for different types of cancer. Why is it so expensive to do this research? Does anyone know what they are doing to try and cure it? Does each different type of cancer require a different cure?
Finally, how realistic is it that we will eventually see a cure for cancer in our lifetimes? Sorry, I have a lot of questions regarding this type of thing.
The research is very expensive because a lot of treatments are investigated to find one that works, and if they do find a treatment it needs extensive safety testing. To properly test a drug to demonstrate that it works in humans and is safe costs around $100 million (there are a lot of tests that need to be done, from metabolic studies, several types of animal studies, and eventually human clinical trials).
As far as whether there is a different "cure" for each type of cancer, there is some overlap, but often different types of cancer respond better to certain types of treatment, and some treatments are cancer-specific.
There's also still a lot of research to be done just trying to understand how cancer is caused and developed, which will hopefully eventually lead to either methods of preventing it from developing in the first place, or true cures.
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I think Ashartus summed it pretty well - takes time to find out where the cancer started, how it is affecting it, different types of mechanisms they can use to destroy the cancer and not the other cells. Then finding out how to develop a drug to target such cancers - this is of course giving out grants to researchers and doctors, and the drug trials are VERY expensive. The crappy thing too is, once we figure out the specifics of a cancer another type pops up. My Uncle is a oncologist and I can ask him many other questions if you want.
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The answer could be very long winded. Tons of ideas and different treatments out there too.
One reason its expensive in testing is there seems to be some order of test rats (metaphor, not nessasarly rats) to try and treat cancer. Rats being at the bottom of the food chain, then rabbits/snakes/etc, monkeys being closer to the top, and if proven to work with animals who might resemble some % of gene match or whatever, they might be able to experiment on humans.
One idea I know about cure (I use that term loosly) is nanomedicines to target individual cells (with markers) rather then expose a large area for treatment. Minimize the amount of radiation, reduce exposure to non-cancer cells, higher concentration for the cancerous cells and so on. Pretty cool stuff, almost went off to do research in this field before I made a last second switch and decided I would rather make cell phones and cable modems.
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First of all, there are around 200 types of cancer in all so its a big job to cure them all. One cure will not work, cancers will need to be cured in groups or, in some cases, individually.
An understanding of what cancer is, is important in understanding why cures and treatments are difficult to find. Cancer the alteration of normal cells in your body, damage to their DNA, that causes them to begin replicating rapidly and uncontrollably separate from any control by the body. Because they are still cells that originated within our bodies, it is difficult to find treatments that don't do harm to the rest of your body... especially for aggressive cancer that must be treated with treatments that are in and of themselves very dangerous.
Now, the money that is raised goes usually to various foundations set up to fight a specific cancer such as the Prostate Cancer Foundation which I believe is the one you speak of in your post. That foundation gives funds to various institutions such as universities and hospitals for them to carry out research/development/studies on that specific cancer or groups of cancers.
The cost of the equipment needed for the research, the cost of the people smart enough to do it, the cost of the facilities needed to do the research, and the cost of development of the resulting treatment are all very high. Everything costs a lot of money and even if you do find some cure or treatment it takes years and years of testing before it can ever be used.
However, we are making progress.
Between 1992 and 2000 in Canada the chances of surviving prostate cancer averaged over all ages, went from 85% to 95%.
Averaged overall all cancers, all genders, and all ages the chances of surviving a cancer diagnosis went from 57% to 61% between 1992 and 2000.
All of the money and time and effort is helping.
One of the most recent and most important cancer "cures" is Gardasil. 70% of all cervical cancer is caused by a few specific strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV). A vaccine branded as Gardasil was found for those strains of the virus and now it is being integrated into regular vaccinations such that, if every girl is vaccinated, we have now eliminated 70% of cervical cancer.
Now... the chances of eliminating all cancer of every type within our lifetime seems slim... but treatments are getting much better and will continue to get better... hopefully to the point where, within our lifetime, getting cancer will be like getting a wart.
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One idea I know about cure (I use that term loosly) is nanomedicines to target individual cells (with markers) rather then expose a large area for treatment. Minimize the amount of radiation, reduce exposure to non-cancer cells, higher concentration for the cancerous cells and so on. Pretty cool stuff, almost went off to do research in this field before I made a last second switch and decided I would rather make cell phones and cable modems.
You're going to be the very reason in 10 years we're all going to have giant tumors growing out of our heads! Then you'll look back at your life and think... I could have saved these lives instead of killing them! Bad boy
I haven't heard of this nanomedicine stuff but I'm looking for something to do my masters in next year and that sounds awesome
There seems to be a big push on lately for fundraising for Prostate Cancer. I just checked the Canadian Cancer Society website and the stats for Canadian men are that 1 in 7 will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. Pretty high. Breast cancer is also highly diagnosed, I think it's 1 in 9 for women (although men can get this too).
I know some people get upset about certain cancer's getting all the "attention" and large amounts of funding. But when you see stats like 1 in 7 and 1 in 9, it makes sense that they would go aggresively after researching and funding the cancers that are affecting so many people.
So I guess that didn't really address your question specifically... but I thought I'd throw those stats out there since Prostate and Breast Cancer do seem to be among the more well publicized fundraising efforts.
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You're going to be the very reason in 10 years we're all going to have giant tumors growing out of our heads! Then you'll look back at your life and think... I could have saved these lives instead of killing them! Bad boy
I haven't heard of this nanomedicine stuff but I'm looking for something to do my masters in next year and that sounds awesome
Thats awsome, whats your program of study? I'm far from an expert on the whole curing cancer topic, but nanomedicines are something I have faith in (versus alot of other stuff I've read about).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peanut
There seems to be a big push on lately for fundraising for Prostate Cancer. I just checked the Canadian Cancer Society website and the stats for Canadian men are that 1 in 7 will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. Pretty high. Breast cancer is also highly diagnosed, I think it's 1 in 9 for women (although men can get this too).
I know some people get upset about certain cancer's getting all the "attention" and large amounts of funding. But when you see stats like 1 in 7 and 1 in 9, it makes sense that they would go aggresively after researching and funding the cancers that are affecting so many people.
So I guess that didn't really address your question specifically... but I thought I'd throw those stats out there since Prostate and Breast Cancer do seem to be among the more well publicized fundraising efforts.
Yup, hard to argue with those kind of figures. Plus, (and man does this sound cold, sorry for those who might be involved) more test subjects = more information to work with. I don't know how a large pool of test subjects help on a macro vs micro scale, but it would help. That, and if by working with the more common types of cancer there, there will be transferable info that relates to other cancers.
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Thanks to all for the comments so far. A lot of it is way over my head, but it is very interesting to read. This is why I asked the questions, because I knew people here would be able to answer.
I haven't heard of this nanomedicine stuff but I'm looking for something to do my masters in next year and that sounds awesome
I don't know what your background is or what your CV might look like but I would look at Joe DeSimone at UNC Chapel Hill for grad studies work. He is a multidisciplinary researcher that is doing some really neat stuff. Check out his research group webpage for info. I find his PRINT methodology (Particle Replication in Non-wetting Templates) particularly neat as a potential means for drug delivery (one of, if not the biggest problem facing medicinal applications).
Thats awsome, whats your program of study? I'm far from an expert on the whole curing cancer topic, but nanomedicines are something I have faith in (versus alot of other stuff I've read about).
The awesome and all exciting field of Biological Sciences! Wooohooo!!! Who am I kidding... haha but I'm nearing the time where I get to specialize in the things I want to =)
I don't know what your background is or what your CV might look like but I would look at Joe DeSimone at UNC Chapel Hill for grad studies work. He is a multidisciplinary researcher that is doing some really neat stuff. Check out his research group webpage for info. I find his PRINT methodology (Particle Replication in Non-wetting Templates) particularly neat as a potential means for drug delivery (one of, if not the biggest problem facing medicinal applications).
Anyway, I was wondering where all this money goes, and all of the other money raised for different types of cancer. Why is it so expensive to do this research? Does anyone know what they are doing to try and cure it? Does each different type of cancer require a different cure?
Finally, how realistic is it that we will eventually see a cure for cancer in our lifetimes? Sorry, I have a lot of questions regarding this type of thing.
I thought I would add a little as someone working in this area, and being funded by one of these foundations as a researcher. The non-bolded parts have been well covered by other posters, but I thought I would give a bit more info on the bolded parts.
What people are trying to do ranges from what we call basic science studies (usually lab studies with isolated cell, mice models, rats or other animals) all the way to clinical studies. Some researchers are trying to understand the basic mechanisms which cause cancer-- a lot of factors which cause DNA damage, such as sunlight for skin cancer, are known, but others are a mystery. Other researchers are looking for signals (called 'biomarkers') which allow us to track if the disease is present (for diagnostics), or if its getting better with treatment (prognostic). This would be useful for things like colon cancer screening, as currently the procedures are very invasive and uncomfortable, leading to a number of high risk people avoiding the screen, or brain tumours where right now we have to do open brain surgury to confirm the cancer. Other researchers are in drug discovery and clincial trials, both of which are very expensive as explained earlier.
The question about whether each cancer requires a different cure is actually a lot more difficult to answer than it might seem. The basic biological basis of cancer is rooted in the damage in the DNA in a cancer cell as compared to the normal cell. Many cancers share DNA damage sites, and so for some of these, they could probably use similar treatments. However, each cancer requires multiple sites of DNA damage which means that the chances of finding two cancers with exactly the same damage sites is unlikely. Also, the genes required to work in different tissues is always different, so even if the DNA profile is the same, the way the cancer acts in each tissue would most likely be different (for example lung cancer and skin cancer).
Anyway, I hope thats not too much detail, but I'm happy to answer any questions on it. If you're ever in Calgary I'd be happy to give you a tour of some of our research facilities, just drop me a PM.
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And watch a beautiful truth. It has change everyone's mind on the food we eat/cancer and breaks down how simple it is instead of the complex crap the Western Medical society wants you to believe it is.
Support Phoenix Tears, a not for profit entity dedicated to Hemp medicines
and providing information about the use of natural Hemp oil, (not Hemp Seed oil) as an effective treatment for cancer and other serious illnesses.
Cancer is not a simple process. It cannot be cured by altering ones diet or taking hemp oil. Diet is only one variable for the causes of cancer.
Frankly, I find it insulting that you (Tower) reduce the efforts of highly skilled and intelligent researchers that dedicate their lives for the greater good to something so insignificant.
What a bunch of bull and actually offensive that someone tries to claim that its all just this simple and undermines the actual REAL efforts that are being made.
I just hope this valuable thread isn't going to get de-railed by your post.
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I find it freeing, and the creator of his cancer cure offers the cure for free. They (research Doctors) can spend oodles of time researching something else. Save the money from the poor people donating who will never see their investment come to full bloom. Anyway. I won't derail. We all have our choices on what we wish to do with our bodies and I respect what you wish to do with yours. 25:00 to 29:30 mins in the documentary is interesting.
Oilers_fan - I really don't care how you think I sound. If I have the unfortunate disease cancer, then I know where I will get my cure. Perhaps it would take others who fail to cure themselves and are so sick they find out they have months to live before they realize pharm just wants your money, and look to other sources.
This one cure here, to say again, is free. Anyone who has a family member with Cancer should tell their family member instead of making that decision for them.
Oilers_fan - I really don't care how you think I sound. If I have the unfortunate disease cancer, then I know where I will get my cure. Perhaps it would take others who fail to cure themselves and are so sick they find out they have months to live before they realize pharm just wants your money, and look to other sources.
This one cure here, to say again, is free. Anyone who has a family member with Cancer should tell their family member instead of making that decision for them.
Since it's free can u hook me up with some? or am i gonna be forced to donate? not that i would ever try this bologna just please dont offer it for free because i am willing to bet you my life savings that i can not get this for free.
Curing cancer questions
