*new* New Blood Test Shows Promise in Cancer Fight - NYTimes.com
Cancer Immunotherapist talks about treatments
http://www.the-scientist.com//?articles.view/articleNo/42574/title/Cancer-Immunotherapist/
8April15 BRCA Mutations Mapped | The Scientist Magazine®
Here's the link to the 3 part series:
http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/cancer-emperor-of-all-maladies/home/
It is hard to watch in some places, but it also brings up many issues we have (or will) discussed in class, including:
1. genetic therapies
2. rationing health care/critiques of our health care system/health care expenses
3. death & dying issues
Here's another article about the possibilities in cancer vaccines:
http://www.the-scientist.com//?articles.view/articleNo/42563/title/Opinion--Making-Cancer-Vaccines-Work/
And another about over treatment:
"The U.S. spends much more on health care than any other country, but lags behind other economically advanced societies on life expectancy and certain other health indicators. That has prompted strong interest among insurers, employers, and government officials in comparing the effectiveness of competing treatments, tests and medications."
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/breast-cancer-overtreatment-costs-u-s-4-billion-a-year/
What strikes you as most significant about the fight against cancer?
While watching the video in class, I was most suprised about how well that cancer itself can evolve on its own. Every time there was a supposed cure for cancer, the cancer found a way to evolve and mutate in order to become resistant to the new anti-cancer drug and survive. That was just astounding to me. In the video there were so many new anti-cancer drugs that were being created and used that actually showed that they workd really well at first. In one story, the man's lung cancer tuors started to shrink and disappear. However, the victory felt with each medicine was short lived because the cancer cells found a way to evolve and mutate to become resistant to the new medication and regrow and spread.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I find most interesting about cancer too, Tonya. It truly is a very smart disease and this is what makes it most difficult to eradicate. Also, it is our own body who is creating the disease and perpetuating it so it makes it more difficult to pick and choose which treatment is best for which patient because each cancer can react differently depending on the patient.
DeleteFirst, after reading the PBS article, it's clear that false positives are costly, but I don't know if I'd consider them "unnecessary." The price of o"overtreatment" may be monetarily expensive, but the price of "undertreatment" is devastating. There's definitely a fine line between too much and not enough, but to often comes down to "better safe than sorry."
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video, I'd also say the most surprising aspect of cancer treatment is the ability of the cancer to evolve on it's own. The fact that cancer itself follows an evolutionary trajectory and has mutations that allow the cancer cells to adapt and succeed almost seems depressing when you think about finding a cure. In the article "How cancer shapes evolution, and how evolution shapes cancer" the authors discuss how species evolve by mutation and selection acting on individuals in a population and how tumors evolve by mutation and selection acting on cells in a tissue. So like animal populations, "cancers respond to insults with selection for the clones that are most fit under that context, such as during chemotherapy." (The article can be found here.. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3660034/ ... It explains the concepts very well, but is a little advanced at times). A cure almost seems insurmountable; thus, I believe, like the first video said, that treatment is going to have to become focused on an individuals response to the cancer and not just the cancer itself. Personalized medicine is the answer, but it is much easier said than done.
Austin,
DeleteI too agree that personalized medicine is the answer. However, that proves to be a very complex and extensive branch of medicine. I think that research is on its way towards this type of medicine, but we are still very far from understanding and making this an everyday reality. I think that the mapping of the human genome as seen in the video provides a huge step in the right direction, but much work still needs to be done. And perhaps the most important question of personalized medicine would be how to regulate and operate the system. I think this would create more problems and would be a more complex and highly controversial, than actually researching and discovering the key to personalized medicine.
Personally, I know many people who have fought and lost the battle with cancer. When I was 16, I found a lump and my parents thought it was cancer (thankfully it was a cyst). The fight with cancer is never easy. Seeing people fight and still go on with their lives is amazing to me. I couldn't imagine how difficult and how tired these individuals are. Cancer is scary. The way it becomes so immune to new medicines quickly and splits cells is actually fascinating to me. It's crazy to think something so strong could exist inside a human body. It's astounding that we have some of the top scientists working against this deadly disease and just when we think we have a cure, cancer becomes immune to the treatment and grows through the body once more. One day, I do believe we will live in a world where no one will hear the words "you have cancer". I very much so hope it is within my lifetime.
ReplyDeleteEmily, I am so sorry to here about the people who you have know that have lost their battle with cancer. I too just like many others have watch family members go through this process and loose their fight. You are right cancer is smarter then science anticipated i hope science will eventually catch up with this deadly disease!
DeleteLosing people to close you to cancer is scary and hard. I am sorry to hear about these loses. I am thankful you are in my life Em and am thankful it was only a cyst! Cancer is so scary and something I would never wish on my worst enemy.
DeleteI think that cancer screenings benefit everyone, no matter what the cost. Sure, it may be very costly, and there may be false-positives, but this is someone's life that we are talking about. I think it's better to have a false-positive and to at least know that it is false, than to not be screening anyone for cancer, and eventually having thousands or millions of people die due to something that could have been caught early on and treated. After watching the PBS video in class, I was surprised to learn how cancer changes over time. It's fascinating to know that, but it also makes cancer even scarier than it was before. Cancer is a scary thing, and I think that all of the screenings, etc. are good. A cure for cancer has not been found yet, but some cancer treatment is working, so it is heading in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteJillian,
DeleteI too was very shocked and interested to learn that cancer evolves and adapts like it does. And I completely agree that this fact makes cancer even more scary because if the cancer is alwayd evolvong and outsmarting whatever medicines and treatments are thrown at it, it raises the question of can cancer ever truly be beaten? It is very discouraging o thnk about and no one wants to accept that as true. People and research have made huge strides in the cancer field, and so I think that we should never give up and throw in the towel to cancer. There have been great advancements in cancer treatmetns and even screening ans prevention and that in itself provides help. Even if we can never beat cancer, we can slow in down and keep it at bay so people can live realitvely normal lives and live life to its fullest.
Cancer is one of the most frightening medical diagnosis anyone can receive. The video explains that cancer is different in everyone and I think that is what makes it such a pressing matter to study and research. So many people participate in different charity organizations about all different types of cancers because so many people are effected. It is nice to watch the PBS film and see all this work towards a cure for cancer is working somewhat with the different progress is being made. The PBS video shows care becoming more individualized for cancer patients showing better progress. Through research and the advance that have already been made i am convinced one day cancer will not be correlated with death.
ReplyDeleteEmily,
DeleteI think that because cancer affects everyone differently and is different in everyone proves that personalized medicine is the path that needs to be explored and utilized. I know this is easier said than done, but there have been advancements and developments in this field. Also, i agree that cancer organizations are the dring force behinf the funding for cancer research. I think that without these orgnizations, the research would be even more financially imited than it is now. The organizations do so much for cancer research an even cancer victims and survivors. I think thathese kinds of organizatuons are an imperative part of cancer research.
Cancer is something that honestly scares me so much. Every time I hear new stuff about it it amazes me how abstract it is. When we watched this video the part that amazed me was how much cancer continues to grow. As well as how each cancer can be different. This makes it so difficult to find a cure. We all hope for one but it is scary to think how difficult it can be to find one. I have hope that one day we will find the cure. It is going to take some tough times and a lot of money. There was once a time when we couldn't find cures for a lot of things. We just have to keep our hopes high.
ReplyDeleteEmily, I agree with your statement. Cancer is a scary thing, especially as it evolves and metastasizes to different organs. I have faith that with the growing technologies and research that becomes available, some one with come up with answers to hep guide medical professionals on the journey of curing cancer.
DeleteCancer is something that also scares me to death. Its so scary how every cancer cell is different, and makes it so difficult to find a cure. I hope that with growing technologies we can continue to progress to a cure.
DeleteAfter watching and reading all these cancer documents and accounts, I feel like medical research has come along way but there is still a lot of questions that need to be answered. First off, the video we watched in class, was really interesting. I am amazed at how oncologists care for these patients. The one lady who did the financial adviser, that is amazing how she kept little kits that can help the oncology patients. She had wigs, ostomy care supplies, ect. In my opinion that goes above and beyond her job description. I was amazed at how the oncologist spoke the patients, she was very calm and told them their options. She didn't force any treatment upon them. Typically with doctors you expect them to say this is what we are doing and there is no patient decision regarding the actions. I thought this was neat how the oncologist approached the patients.
ReplyDeleteWith the two Science articles, it is amazing how far medical research has come. The scientist at University of Pennsylvania are trying further isolate the BRAC 1&2 gene for breast cancer and ovarian cancer. I am in awe with what they are doing, I can't comprehend how this research will impact the lives of so many women in the future. They are doing great things.
I also am in awe on how far cancer research has come. I found the movie we watched in class very interesting and informative. I did not know very much of the research process with cancer.
DeleteResearch for cancer has come a long way in the past few year with the help of gene therapy. My grandfather has lung cancer & while we were discussing the options for chemo, the oncologist talked about the different types of lung cancers and how the type with genetic predispositions have come a long way. They have had luck with these types because they are now able to identify the specific gene that they believe causes lung cancer in someone who say, has never smoked and has lung cancer which clearly shows a genetic cause. It was interesting because if gene therapy can help those people, it could be a possibility for any cancer. The article definitely shows the down side of cancer treatment being the cost, however the cost lies with everything: the treatment, the studies for research, and inevitably the possibility of it not curing the cancer. However, i think that with the use of gene therapy we will continue to learn more and more about cancer as well as other diseases that can be so devastating.
ReplyDeleteI think gene therapy will be immensely helpful in targeting cancer and other diseases. A lot of diseases are genetic and if we can target those specific genes we may finally find a cure. I'm sorry about your grandfather, mine had lung cancer as well. I wish yours the best!
DeleteDemi,
DeleteI think it is wonderful that the doctors gave you the options for these new treatments such as gene therapy. I agree that gene therapy is going to advance cancer research immensely and I really believe that it will help to one day find the cure for cancer.
Demi,
DeleteIt is great to see that the research of gene therapy as it relates to cancer incorporated into treatment for these cancers. It just goes to show that people are making progress and that are considering this research valis enough to include in the treatmetn options of cancer. It brings about hope for the future. However, as you mentioned, I tink cost will continue to play a hige role in the application of these therapies. Until this type of treatment is more throughly researched and well known and utilized, it wil continue to be expensive. But, just as everything does, over time the cost will decrease and the gene therapy will be more readily available to the majority of the population.
Demi, my condolences for your grandfather. Cancer is such a cruel disease, and like you, I am excited to hear about advancements in research/treatment. Gene therapy, being able to target a certain gene as the cause of a disease, will definitely open up a world of possibilities with treatment regimens. Through the past couple weeks, I have been struggling with the topic of genetic engineering. From a religious standpoint, it raises problems for me. I can kind of see it as man trying to play God with science. On the other hand, these advancements in medicine are amazing, and I feel that God has given us the opportunities to learn and progress. But I think for now I will hold the general opinion that if gene therapy is being used with the best intentions, such as attempting to cure cancer, it is permissible. (That opinion will probably be tweaked as I learn more and more about the topic).
DeleteWouldn't it be amazing to see the costs of cancer treatment fall within the next decade or so? While it will depend on several different factors, I think it’s possible.
I know that cancer research has come a long way. I thought it was very interesting how there are so many medicines available to cancer patients, but yet there are still chances that after being in remission, or not even being in remission but considered "better". I had no idea that the reason that cancer is so difficult to find a cure for, is because that in every person cancer cells are completely different. So one medicine may work for one person, but then for the next person it may not have any effect on them. This article opened up my eyes to how much cancer treatments cost. Luckily, i have no had much cancer diagnosis in my family. Gene therapy is a great thing, and i hope they can continue to find the cure.
ReplyDeleteAbbie, I also find it so interesting that cancer treatment has been found to be so personalized. Every newly diagnosed cancer patient has to be evaluated as a new and rare individual in order to create the most effective treatment plan. Yes, cancer treatment costs are astronomical! It is the hope of every cancer patient and their families that with time and medical advancement those costs could come down, but I think the biggest factor there will be time. I have not experienced much cancer in my family, but I have had a close friend pass away a few months ago, so I look forward to the advancements that are being made in the field.
Delete"The U.S. spends much more on health care than any other country, but lags behind other economically advanced societies on life expectancy and certain other health indicators. That has prompted strong interest among insurers, employers, and government officials in comparing the effectiveness of competing treatments, tests and medications."
ReplyDeleteObviously, creating new drugs is an expensive and extremely time consuming process. However, 9 out of 10 Big Pharma companies spend far more on advertisement than actual research and develop. So although resources are already limited, a lot of them aren't be used as efficiently as possible (at least in my eyes).
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/02/11/big-pharmaceutical-companies-are-spending-far-more-on-marketing-than-research/
I completely agree with you that the resources aren't being used efficiently. I can understand the need for advertising, but I believe research is much more important for cancer therapies.
DeleteAustin,
DeleteI found this article to be very ineresting. I agree completely when you say that the already limited resourcces are not being used as effectively as they shoudl be. I think this is due to the fact that in America, pharmaceutical companies are seen and operate as a business rather than a service, and need to have advertisemetns in order to sell their products. I do not think that the resources are going to be able to use their resources effectively until the minset that pharm companies are a business and need to make a profit is changed.
After watching this video, I really realized the complexity of cancer and why it is so difficult for us to contain. I always knew cancer was a terrible thing but I never really knew how many different types there were and how differently it can effect each patient. Another thing that this video really opened my eyes to is how complex and side effect full our current cancer treatments are. Sometimes its not even the cancer that is really making the person so weak as much as it is the treatments. I think that the new gene therapies and other treatments available are really a huge step in making progress on cancer research.
ReplyDeleteCancer research has made huge advancements in the last 10-15 year. The development of this disease is to me, the most astounding. Not only does this disease know how to invade a host but also has been able to in certain cased lie dormant for year, all before make a resurgence and possibly killing some. After watching the video in class I feel as if I have a new found respect for cancer and its abilities. As far as the money spent of medical services here in the US, I have always been a firm believer that in order to make money , one must first spend money. PLEASE DONT TAKE ME WRONG. I am not saying that the monetary value placed on research is the correct way to go about things, but what I am saying is that I am almost certain that advancements in cancer research have some direct correlation to the amount of money being spent to do so. If I expect to win the race, I cant do so with the 1978 El camino. Instead a much more advanced car, something new and with better technology would be needed. That is to say that over the course of the last several years, money has contributed greatly to the advancements in cancer research. In my opinion the money spent on cancer research is justified and although the US falls short In other areas of interest, I believe this is something has is a necessity.
ReplyDeletePaul, I think you make some very good assumptions about cancer research. It is amazing but scary how cancer cells can mutate and spread to various parts of the body without the individual knowing. I agree that cancer research funds are responsible and a necessary. Like I said earlier, cancer has the ability to morph and change into new cells and damage new cells, with that being said, we need research to track and evolve with new treatments to kill the evolving cancer cells/ genes.
DeleteI definitely agree about the fact the money in research is 100% needed. I like the El Camino anaolgy as well. Quite simply, you get out what you put in. However, I wish the resources (Multi-billions of dollars) were used in a more efficient manner. I'm not claiming I know the best way for our resources to be managed, the results just seem painfully slow at times or is often one step forward two steps back. But that's just the nature of the disease because cancer isn't one disease, but a general term for many diseases that have some things in common and many things that vary from one type of cancer to another.
DeleteThe fight against cancer is interesting because it is something that holds many barriers. These barriers do not just include cancers incredible ability to avoid all measures thrown against it. noted in the video was the monetary deficeit which is the reason to why there has not been as much advancement as possible, however, I have always questioned this idea. Cancer research is a multi billion dollar market and in my opinion they are just not very good at managing the money because it is so far spread over 100 different research agencies. The video defiantly should the benefits of further research but like somebody mentioned to me the other day is this a losing battle. They say we are not limited by ideas but they have to be the right ideas because things have tried, failed. and are long gone.
ReplyDelete