We Need a New War on Cancer

"Tumor genes and cancer stem cells..."

There are no such things as "tumor genes and cancer stem cells." All cancers come from a primordial random error in a cell division and survival that subsequently evolves differently in each cancer.

Spouting off such glamorous cliches are no more than giving new names to the same worn out approaches that are keeping a giant non-productive industry busy and employed.

New ideas have no hope of funding in today's so called money distribution system called "peer review" who like Congress being their own "peers" simply vote themselves higher pay raises. There will be no new war on cancer until the entire system is radically overhauled.

LYNCH SYNDROME

I'M A THREE TIME SURVIVOR OF COLON AND LIVER CANCER.I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH COLON CANCER IN 1997 AT THE AGE OF 55YRS. I RECEIVED CHEMO FOR 7 MONTHS. I HAVE BEEN TESTED FOR CANCER EVERY 6 MONTHS SINCE. LIVER MET WAS DISCOVERED IN 1999 AND A SINGLE TUMOR WAS FOUND .I WAS OPERATED ON AT SKMH IN NYC. NO CHEMO. NEW CANCER OF COLON IN 2007 WAS FOUND . OPERATED IN SKMH IN NYC. NO CHEMO. THANKS TO MY PHYSICAN'S I'M CHECKED EVERY 6 MONTHS WITH PET AND CAT SCANS ,CEA. I SUGGEST EVERY PERSON NEEDS TO BE PROACTIVE IN THEIR HEALTH CARE.THANKS TO THE COMPUTER, I LEARNED ABOUT LYNCH SYNDROME THEN TOOK THE NEXT STEP TO BE TESTED FOR THE GENE.

Alternative cancer treatments

I am a cancer survivor and I declined most traditional treatments. 3 years ago, I was diagnosed with 3 cancerous lumps in my breast. Course of treatment was to be, mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation followed up with one of the new drugs that are suppose to prevent breast cancer.

I watched a sister in law and an aunt die of cancer. They took all the treatments that were recommended. They died slow, painful miserable deaths. I truly believe that it was the barbaric chemo that killed them.

I use alternatives to help keep the cancer away. I will never donate money to the traditional cancer causes because they have too much to lose by finding a cure for cancer. If a group starts that asks for donations that want to explore more than the current cut, poison and burn treatments I am all for it.

I do believe we need more education on how to prevent cancer and we need trials on natural treatments not orchestrated by the drug companies that have too much to lose by natural cures.

I do hope this new war on cancer is not just the same old war that netted nothing.

Pesticides

We need MORE pesticides. Haven't you heard the latest data on the consumption of fruits and vegetables? 5 serviings per day to keep away disease.

What do you think is on all of those fruits and vegetables when we eat them? Do you really think that every single person is adequately washing away the pesticides on their fruits and vegetables?

What good would a pesticide be if it simply washed off after a quick rain shower.

Jimmy

Effective screening for only four or five cancers?

All it would have taken to detect my case of chronic myelogenous leukemia would have been one simple, common blood test--a CBC/D--that costs about $50, administered anytime in the 12-36 months before I developed symptoms. During that time, I had routine physicals, but no such test was done. Why? Because it's not an approved part of normal physical exams. Never mind that it's a cheap test. Never mind that it tells you a lot about the patient, not just about whether or not the patient has leukemia. Never mind that such a test would have avoided $14,000 in hospital costs. It's not part of the normal physical exam procedure, so most doctors don't do it.

Until we are willing to actually use the tools we have, what good will further research do?

War on Cancer....

Hmmmmm.... a "War on Cancer" .....

I know! Let's start with:

eliminating chemical fertilizers and pesticides...... then microwave (cell phone towers) transmissions...... oh yes, CO2 automobile exhaust emissions..... and breast cancer in women by requiring those bathing suit tops to prevent 'indecency'..... and the arsenal of chemical substances used to 'clean' out home and our pets, bleach for our clothing... chemicals to clean our carpets, our linoleum, chemical deodorants, chemical hair conditioners, chemical-base cosmetics, industrial pollution, 'teflon' (a fluorocarbon polymer) coming off our cooking utensils and going into our food, microwave ovens (everybody has at least one!), chemical medications, chlorine in our drinking water, chemical food-additives, etc., etc....

Gee, its a miracle that we are still alive!

We don't need a "War on Cancer" ... we need a war on stupid.

War on Cancer????

if Cancer funding and Heart funding were given just 10% of the trillion dollars given to that homosexual Disease of HIV Nvirus , cancer and Heart Disease would be GONE.

The critical importance of LEADERSHIP

Research on cancer today is largely hidebound. Millions and millions of dollars are being spent every year on repetitive research that is going nowhere. We are feeding the status quo.

We need leadership that will champion radical new ways of thinking about cancer research. We need leaders who will insist on rapid decision making and a more aggressive insistence on research that has demonstrable outcomes.

This is NOT intended as a criticism of the past. However, it IS a comment on the serious need for greater focus and really new thinking.

We have been making small, incremental advances for 30 years, but we need more Gleevecs, more thalidomides, more therapies that can truly transform patient outcomes as opposed to adding a few months to people's lives when they are already so sick that they can't benefit from the extra month or two.

Cancer

Anyone with spare computer time can aid the war on cancer by going to http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org (WCG), download a small piece of software, attach to the Help Cure Cancer project.

The cost to you is the cost of the electricity to run your computer, which is estimated to be about the same as the cost of leaving on a 150watt light bulb, not very much.

WCG has a number of projects aimed at helping to find cures to diseases such as cancer, dengue fever, and AIDS, and a project to find nutritious rice. All projects are strictly non-profit, and the knowledge gained remains in the public domain.

WCG is a project sponsored and powered by IBM Corporation.

The agent is supplied by BOINC, the Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (http://boinc.berkeley.edu). At BOINC, you will also find many other worthwhile projects in varying fields from mathematics, protein folding, pulsars.

All projects at BOINC and WCG are at august institutions and universities throughout the world.

Please help us in this very important work.

Cancer and Cancer Stem Cells

Dear Bernadine,

Thanks for continuing to raise the visibility of tumor genes and cancer stem cells (CSC) in the hunt for cure(s) to cancer.

The field of biology around CSCs is now emerging around an understanding of how normal adult epithelial stem cells which throughout our lives provide the function of lifelong tisssue renewal turn abnormal or change from dormant to active under specific cellular conditions. So what triggers this normal/abnormal switch?

Per your article, the key undoubtedly lies in identifying the genes and regulator proteins controlling the 'stem cell self renewal process' and understanding the mechanism of action of these proteins on cancer stem cells in order to inhibit, prevent and ideally cure specific cell line cancers.

Like you, we too are focused on this task and see our joint work and effort amassing an ever increasing force of understanding to properly wage war on cancer. Let battle commence.

Matthew Walls

CEO, Epistem plc

England, UK.