The Assassins of Cancer

In almost every person you talk to, someone has a story of a family member or friend that has been affected by cancer. I’ve read a few posts regarding various treatments as well as some discussing the cause behind cancer. However, after researching I found one new field of treatment that is expanding and proving to be incredibly effective in killing cancer. For those who do not know, cancer is the constant replication of cells within our body that push into the surrounding tissue. Our bodies are made up trillions of cells and typically they live and work like humans do. New cells are produced and do their job until they become old and die, which is when a new cell will grow in its place. However, when cancer develops it causes these cells to replicate uncontrollably and end up creating extra tissue, which are called tumors. The issue with cancer cells is that they spread into other areas of the body causing further damage. Scientists have searched for the cure for cancer for years and breakthroughs have brought the world to where it is today. Today the “precision-guided cancer treatment” is proving to be not only effective but also cost efficient.

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The precision-guided cancer treatment acts as a weapon to fight these incessantly growing cancer cells. An article by Men’s Health states that a new pill could be paving the way for future medicine. In many forms of leukemia the growth of the cells is catalyzed by the protein Bruton’s tyrosine kinase, commonly referred to as BTK. For years doctors were unable to find a way to safely stop the cells from growing without damaging the healthy cells. A new drug called Ibrutinib has showed promising results. This summer the New England Journal of Medicine found that the drug successfully treated 71% of the chronic leukemia patients. This major breakthrough is a huge milestone for the fight against cancer. The precision-guided cancer treatments are also becoming more specified in the form of radiation.

In an article published by Bloomberg Business, a man with esophagus cancer that had spread to his lymph nodes had few options to pick from when it came to treatment. That was until Dr. Albert Koong came to the man, offering him to be the first to try a brand new form of radiation. The doctor stated “For the first time in history, we can bomb the equivalent of an outhouse from 30,000 feet with no collateral damage.” The machine Koong was referring to was a recently developed machine, allowing for high X-ray voltage to be shot at the cancer cells using state of the art “imaging gear.” Koong and his team were able to directly kill the cancer cells without causing harm to the surrounding cells. The treatment left the man cancer free in his esophagus and also reduced the amount of side effects that radiation can typically cause.

 

All in all I am very confident that through the progression of the medical field, we will continue to see advances in our weapons used to fight cancer. These new techniques in fighting cancer can also be applied to other diseases that affect the cells. Precision-guided cancer treatments are allowing for a more effective form of killing the cancer while at the same time reducing the negative side effects that often come with radiation such as weight loss and dry mouth.

Sources:

http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/what-is-cancer

http://www.menshealth.com/health/medical-breakthroughs?slide=11

http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/stories/2007-02-11/precision-guided-cancer-weapons

One thought on “The Assassins of Cancer

  1. odh5019

    It is very true that cancer is so common and I personally have close friends and family who have been diagnosed if some kind of cancer. However, I feel like it is less common that I hear about people who are cured or the advancements and I had no idea about the new treatments you discussed in the blog. It give a lot of hope to people diagnosed and I know we are one step closer to curing cancer entirely.

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