• Question: Do you think that they will finally find a cure for cancer?x

    Asked by kecfkg to Helen, Mark, Martin, Stu on 22 Jun 2011. This question was also asked by pops.
    • Photo: Helen O'Connor

      Helen O'Connor answered on 22 Jun 2011:

      We are finding out more and more each year about the causes of cancer, as well as ways we can identify cancer early on, and treat cancer if someone has it.

      We now know some of the ways that some cancers can occur, like skin cancer, so people can take steps to stop themselves being at such risk. We also are now able to immunise against several of the causes of cervical cancer in women.

      I am sure that whilst there may never be a cure for cells mutating (which can just happen by chance when a cell is reproducing and which causes cancer), we will be able to significantly reduce the number of deaths from cancer each year through advances in prevention, screening and treatment of cancer.

    • Photo: Mark Burnley

      Mark Burnley answered on 22 Jun 2011:

      Helen is right. Because “cancer” is simply a term to describe uncontrolled cell division and/or a lack of cell death (apoptosis), curing cancer is not a question of finding one cure, we will need to find many. If a form of cancer is caused by a virus, then a vaccine is a cure (HPV for cervical cancer, for example). However, there are lots of cancers for which we only understand the risk factors and not the trigger, so in these cases a cure is far away!

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