• Question: Do you think cancer could ever be curable?

    Asked by Mitty to Laura, Chris, Georgina, Kristi on 14 Nov 2017. This question was also asked by 582strk47, byron.
    • Photo: Laura Ginesi

      Laura Ginesi answered on 14 Nov 2017:

      Now there’s a really good question. Thank you!

      Cancer is actually an umbrella term for lots of different diseases. Scientists now understand cancers much better than they did in the past and know that most cancer are caused by mutations – genetic changes – which mean that cell division doesn’t stop when it should do, or that abnormal cells keep on dividing rather than dying. There are many different causes of the mutations; some are inherited but others are caused by exposure to cancer-causing agents in the environment.

      Billions of pounds have been spent researching cancer. there are many more successful treatments that didn’t even exist twenty years ago and so more people survive for longer after a diagnosis of cancer than ever before. But there is still no single cure for this complex group of diseases.

      SOme common cancers can be cured if they are caught at a very early stage. That’s got to be good news in my book!

Comments

  • Photo: byron

    byron commented on :

    Cancer is not one disease. Cancer is several hundred different diseases with the same symptom.
    We have many cures for many cancers but I don’t belive there will ever be one ‘Cure’ for all cancers.
    And cancer will always happen. The dinosaurs got cancers and all species after humans go extinct will also get cancer. Cancer is a possibility in every organism.