One of the greatest challenges we face in the fight against cancer probably lies in its detection. Simply put, if we can detect cancerous cells before they fully manifest, there is a good chance we can nip the problem in the bud.
It's easy to talk about it in this way. Implementing a system for such detection is another matter altogether. There are many obstacles we face in even attempting to do so. For one thing, it's not possible to take a one-size-fits-all approach. There are countless types of cancers out there, for which each is caused by variedly different conditions. More significantly, we have also yet to determine the cause of many cancers.
That's not to say we haven't made any headway.
For instance, research on cervical and colorectal cancer has yielded results, and we now have some insight as to how they work. Test kits for colorectal cancer have been available for some time. The Singapore Cancer Society distributes such kits every year during Colorectal Cancer Month. Also, vaccines for cervical cancer have also appeared. However, all that have been provided are the tools. We still need to take personal responsibility in screening for such diseases.
We're also still quite clueless as to how to prevent other cancers. To be fair, there are thousands of research projects concentrating on such endeavours now. From time to time, they yield useful results. Recently for example, a study at the University of Minnesota in the US showed that it could be possible to identify smokers' lung lancer risk with a simple test that screens their urine for certain biomarkers.
The study, which surveyed populations in China and Singapore, examined urine samples from subjects and found that a third of smokers who had the highest levels of a biological marker known as NNAL and a marker called cotinine, "were 8.5 times more likely to develop lung cancer than those with levels in the lowest third and similar histories of smoking."
In another unrelated study from Stanford University in California, US, researchers developed new technology which could make it possible in the future to screen people for cancer by just testing a drop of their blood. Currently, accurate cancer diagnosis requires surgical biopsies, which is used to remove lumps of tissue for lab analysis.
In this manner, cancer treatment can be enhanced as well, as the technology will allow "fast and easy monitoring of patient response to treatment." Also, despite focusing only blood cancers in the study, scientists are optimistic about its effectiveness in the technology's ability to detect solid tumors. In fact, they have already began testing it on head and neck tumours.
Hopefully, with the results of studies such as these, we'll be better equipped to help catch cancer before it has a chance to do any major damage. The ultimate goal of course would still be to prevent it from ever occuring in the first place.
Such studies underscore the urgent need for us to dedicate more resources towards cancer research. Its quite obvious that the research can move along at a faster pace when they have additional funding, better equipment and more manpower. This is why we should all try to support cancer research as much as we can, whether be it through a monetary contribution or encouraging our youth to consider a career in medical oncology.
References:
http://www.nccs.com.sg
http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20090419/hl_hsn/urinetestcouldgaugesmokerslungcancerrisk
http://www.healthnews.com/medical-updates/successful-cancer-detection-from-a-single-
drop-blood-2950.html
It's easy to talk about it in this way. Implementing a system for such detection is another matter altogether. There are many obstacles we face in even attempting to do so. For one thing, it's not possible to take a one-size-fits-all approach. There are countless types of cancers out there, for which each is caused by variedly different conditions. More significantly, we have also yet to determine the cause of many cancers.
That's not to say we haven't made any headway.
For instance, research on cervical and colorectal cancer has yielded results, and we now have some insight as to how they work. Test kits for colorectal cancer have been available for some time. The Singapore Cancer Society distributes such kits every year during Colorectal Cancer Month. Also, vaccines for cervical cancer have also appeared. However, all that have been provided are the tools. We still need to take personal responsibility in screening for such diseases.
We're also still quite clueless as to how to prevent other cancers. To be fair, there are thousands of research projects concentrating on such endeavours now. From time to time, they yield useful results. Recently for example, a study at the University of Minnesota in the US showed that it could be possible to identify smokers' lung lancer risk with a simple test that screens their urine for certain biomarkers.
The study, which surveyed populations in China and Singapore, examined urine samples from subjects and found that a third of smokers who had the highest levels of a biological marker known as NNAL and a marker called cotinine, "were 8.5 times more likely to develop lung cancer than those with levels in the lowest third and similar histories of smoking."
In another unrelated study from Stanford University in California, US, researchers developed new technology which could make it possible in the future to screen people for cancer by just testing a drop of their blood. Currently, accurate cancer diagnosis requires surgical biopsies, which is used to remove lumps of tissue for lab analysis.
In this manner, cancer treatment can be enhanced as well, as the technology will allow "fast and easy monitoring of patient response to treatment." Also, despite focusing only blood cancers in the study, scientists are optimistic about its effectiveness in the technology's ability to detect solid tumors. In fact, they have already began testing it on head and neck tumours.
Hopefully, with the results of studies such as these, we'll be better equipped to help catch cancer before it has a chance to do any major damage. The ultimate goal of course would still be to prevent it from ever occuring in the first place.
Such studies underscore the urgent need for us to dedicate more resources towards cancer research. Its quite obvious that the research can move along at a faster pace when they have additional funding, better equipment and more manpower. This is why we should all try to support cancer research as much as we can, whether be it through a monetary contribution or encouraging our youth to consider a career in medical oncology.
References:
http://www.nccs.com.sg
http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20090419/hl_hsn/urinetestcouldgaugesmokerslungcancerrisk
http://www.healthnews.com/medical-updates/successful-cancer-detection-from-a-single-
drop-blood-2950.html
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