Revolution+of+Cancer+Research


 * A New Era of Cancer Research **

Globally, 12.7 million people a year find out they have cancer. Cancer kills 7.6 million people worldwide every year and is the second leading cause of death in the United States. But things may now start to change. There has been so much research over the years of new ways on not just how to cure and treat cancer, but on quick and more efficient ways to find it. There are innovations being made every day to finally finding the answer on how to better treat cancer and finding a solution. The question now being asked it, “Is the evolution of cancer research turning to a revolution?” The focus on cancer research has exponentially grown. Research has shown that cancer can now be treated by using molecular treatment and target a specific cancer alone. "[...] scientific advances truly change lives" (Margaret Cuomo, M.D., "//A World without Cancer").//
 * History of Cancer **

Cancer is a general name for 100 different types of diseases. It first starts out an out-of-control growth of abnormal cells. Cancer cell growth is completely different from normal body cells. Due to DNA damage, cells start to become cancer cells. They don't die like normal body cells do, they actually grow to form more abnormal cells. Cancer cells usually form tumors, but in cancers like leukemia, they involve the blood and blood-forming organs. They circulate through other tissues where they grow.

Cancer has been around throughout history and has been recorded in both humans and animals. The oldest description found was in Egypt and dates back to around 3000 BC. It was found in a copy of part of an ancient Egyptian textbook on trauma surgery. The writing in the text says "There is no treatment". (Cancer.org)

The actual word "cancer" come from the greek "Father of Medicine", Hippocrates. He used terms like //carcinos// or //carcinoma//. Hippocrates used these words to describe non-ulcer forming and ulcer forming tumors. Then Celsus, a Roman physician, later translated the Greek term into cancer, the Latin word for crab. Galen, who was also a Roman physician, used the word //oncos// (Greek for swelling) to describe tumors. This term is now used as part of a name for cancer specialists-oncologist.
 * Immunotherapy **

One way that scientists believe that they can make a breakthrough is through immunotherapy. Cancer @immunotherapy empowers the immune system to fight cancer.

“When T-cells are engineered or multiplied by the billions in the laboratory, they have a greater capacity to target and kill cancer cells. Powerful memory T-cells could be coaxed to provide a lifetime of immunity against cancer".

Immunotherapy has become an important part of treating several types of cancer. “The promise of immunotherapy is a cure for cancer without the serious side effects of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery”. With immunotherapy, cancer treatment can be improved, and can also help improve the lives of millions.

**New Cancer Treatment**

So many cancer treatments and therapies can be poisonous and harmful to the body. People lose hair and skin color, and some also become very weak and thin. Scientists have discovered a new targeted therapy called "@molecularly targeted therapy". This kind of therapy allows for drugs to be mixed without causing harm to the patient/patient's body cells.

Targeted therapy hasn't been made available to all types of cancers, but these are just a few of the ones that can be treated with targeted therapy; breast cancer, lymphoma, melanoma, prostate cancer, and multiple myeloma. Molecularly targeted therapy is more effective than other current treatments and not as harmful to regular body cells. 

Sources

"Activated T-cells Attacking Tumor Cell."

"Cancer Immunotherapy Empowers the Immune System to Fight Cancer." //Fight Cancer With Immunotherapy//. Dendreon Corporation, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.

Cuomo, Margaret I. //A World without Cancer: The Making of a New Cure and the Real Promise of Prevention//. New York, NY: Rodale, 2012. Print.

"What Is Immunotherapy?" What Is Immunotherapy? American Cancer Society, 5 Sept. 2012. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.

"Targeted Cancer Therapy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Jan. 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.

"What Is Cancer?" //What Is Cancer?// American Cancer Society, 8 June 2012. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.