Cure for cancer in 10 years?

atpeace7 · New User Joined: 18 Mar 2008 Posts: 7

You may have heard the same thing: We'll have a cure for cancer in 10 years.

I'm in 2 camps here:

CAMP 1: WE WILL HAVE A CURE
I kind of believe this because I've seen my own mother go from 4th stage to remission (either it was the experimental drug or it was the herbs and juice we gave her);

CAMP 2: WE WON'T
None of the oncologists seemed that happy that my mom's cancer went into remission. The UCLA oncologist, in particular, seemed almost upset by this news. Why? He's making $400/hour (he was our 3rd opinion so Medicare wouldn't pay).

Also, remember the PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES do not want a cure. Period. This would wipe out TRILLIONS of dollars from the portfolio. They're similar to the oil companies that bought out the patents for the electric cars in the 1970's and destroyed them.

Also remember that little disease called AIDS? The cocktail AZT has literally wiped out billions of dollars from the medical industry according to a recent article. The Phamaceutical companies don't want to repeat the same mistake.

ANSWER?

We need to set up an INDEPENDENT research company that will ensure we find a cure in 10 years by the government.

I've spoken to one Harvard Medical researcher who says we need about $200 billion to find the final cure.

We've spent close to $500 billion on the Iraq War.

No matter what you think of George W. Bush (I, the idiot, voted for him), you cannot deny the fact that he did literally NOTHING to find a cure for cancer during his 8 years in office.

And neither will Hillary or Barak or McCain. The biggest losers in our country are drawn to politics for some reason and they're destroying any hope we will find a cure. I would rather have the founders of this wonderful website forum be elected President. Seriously.

Anyway, I'm open to all of your thoughts.

God bless you!

pbj11 · Site Admin Joined: 12 May 2007 Posts: 1402

I think your post is a politically charged, but some of your points about money are well taken. Pharmaceuticals are big business, there is no denying that.

Maybe you are too young to remember that President Richard Nixon declared war on cancer back in the early '70's, so many Congresses and Presidents have come and gone since then. It is Congress that makes our laws, approves the budget, and provides research funding from the government sector, not the President. He can outline and propose, but ultimately the authority is in other's hands with only the President having veto power.

I don't personally think that it is our government's responsibility to fund cancer research, so I don't get too rattled over funding allocations. We are a capitalist society, not socialist, so the big pharma's or independent organizations should be funding the research. It is a vicious Catch-22 and unfortunately, the people who are struck with cancer are the ones who have paid the price. Don't forget that through this system the survival rate for women/men with breast cancer has gone up to 85% in the last decade or so. Progress is being made, but sadly very slowly for most cancers. Unless you have huge organizations, like breast cancer does, bringing a particular cancer to the public mindset, little can be done. Early detection is still the best chance of survival for any of the cancers.

I still ponder why AID's became the "poster child" of diseases and had so much funding in comparison to other diseases. How that leapfrogged over cancer is beyond me. The death rate is so low for AID's in the United States, when compared with cancer death rates. Maybe AID's was more of a no-brainer to find a cocktail for than cancer.

Far more focus needs to be placed on cancer of ALL types in our country, regardless of where research funding comes from.

The cost of maintaining our freedom and security as a nation is foremost or there won't be any need for cancer cures. Terrorism is as real of a threat as cancer and thanks, but I don't want it in my back yard.
_________________
Husband diagnosed with NSCLC Stage IV. (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer) Fought & lived 2 1/2 years with multiple lines of treatment.

Post describing our battle: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=7026&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

simplyklb · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 11:23 am Post subject: Re: Cure for cancer in 10 years?

We should have had a cure for cancer a long time ago. I know that we have made huge advancements but a cure has not been found. I think that the pharmaceutical companies are holding the ball. Those companies make billions and billions of dollars off off cancer patients.

Kristi

pbj11 · Site Admin Joined: 12 May 2007 Posts: 1402

It's a shame that we, in all honesty, feel that there could be cures out there and being withheld for monetary gain by the pharmaceutical companies. I'm not sure, but those thoughts sure cross my mind too often also. I want to have a belief in the goodness of human beings and think they are working to find the cure. Still the question marks remain.

God bless us all and, while it is too late for my husband, I keep hope in my heart for my children's generation to have an end to this horrific disease.
_________________
Husband diagnosed with NSCLC Stage IV. (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer) Fought & lived 2 1/2 years with multiple lines of treatment.

Post describing our battle: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=7026&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

brainman · Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 5:38 am Post subject: Re: Cure for cancer in 10 years?

atpeace7, I am afraid that I am of the camp that says we will never find A cure for cancer. There are so many types of cancer... all with different characteristics and so many possible causes that talking about one cure seems to me to be inconceivable. In fact, I would go further and say that it is very dangerous for us to speak about anyone being cured of cancer simple because no cancer cells can be found.

Remember, I am speaking as a long term cancer survivor so I do wish I could think that since my last MRI was clear I do not have to worry about my cancer ever recurring. If you read very much of what I have posted, you will see that I never use the word "cure" or "cured" except in a wishful sense. I do wish you were right and that there were cures. Probably the closest thing to a cure is with breast cancers. But even then, there is a danger of recurrence.

Furthermore, as one how has worked in the pharmaceutical and hospital community for most of my working life, I am less suspicious of these large institutions than you appear to be. Certainly, I do understand your suspicions; I just do not share them. I know too many good and loving men and women working hard everyday in order to find better and, if possible, cheaper treatments for Cancers to really share in your misgivings about the industry.

Peace, Love, and always Hope.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

Vee Smith · Moderator Joined: 12 Feb 2006 Posts: 817 Location: UK

I agree.

You only have to read through all the different forums and what people have posted on them to realise that this is not one disease, but many forms of a disease, and one which is constantly changing. Therefore to suggest that there will be "a cure for cancer" is to some degree a tautology. There are cures already for a few cancers, and an incredible number of possible treatments for others. And there are some cancers that can only be mitigated until the sufferer succumbs.

The best scenario is tracking the trigger mechanisms and developing means of countering them so that cancer does not get a hold. There is much interesting research in this field which does seem to hold future hope.

cptmac · Experienced user Joined: 19 Apr 2007 Posts: 53

For those of you who are skeptics, I wonder how many of you, did as I did to help find a cure for cancer, and signed up for a clinical trial.

The trial I was on was a Stage II clinical trial and has shown great promise. Our statistics are more favorable for Stage IV colon cancer patients than those who are not. Unfortunately, part of the trial had to stop due to a lack of funding because not enough people signed up to be on the trial.

I do not believe in complaining, unless I'm taking an active part in the solution. It takes years of research and trial on animals to get to the point where you can get try a trial on humans. Then is takes years for it to go from a Stage I, to a Stage II, then a Stage III trial, before it can be offered to everyone as a whole.

I was the second person to sign up for the trial, I was diagnosed in July of '04. I have had no evidence of disease since September of '04. I have done my part to find a cure for cancer, have you done yours?

cptmac · Experienced user Joined: 19 Apr 2007 Posts: 53

Good for you ihatesnow, I would, but my computer, when not in use, is looking for the next mersenne prime number. Our U has already found two of them.

But cool, you're associated with Wash U. I get the dish network and have been watching a lot of your medical programs. I find it to be very interesting.

simplyklb · Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 11:20 pm Post subject: Re: Cure for cancer in 10 years?

Has anyone heard about Stand up to Cancer? It's basically a fundraiser supported by the three major networks to fund cancer research. I think that we should all participate. It's the only way we will ever find a cure for all cancers.

Kristi
_________________
Dad - Andy, 70, diagnosed with SCLC in May 2008
2/20/38 - 10/15/08 Fly high, Dad!
Mom - Jackie, 67, diagnosed with NSCLC in May 2008

brainman · Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 12:28 am Post subject: Re: Cure for cancer in 10 years?

cptmac, fortunately, the standard treatment worked for me so I did not need to take part in a clinical trial. I am sad to hear that the one you were on had to terminate early due to lack of funding. I am in total agreement that we do need more funding for research at all levels. We can land a man on the moon but not adequately fund cancer research??

What makes my skin crawl is the term "cure for cancer." Although I am a 15 year survivor, I do not think of myself as "cured". If I do not die of something else, I am sure my cancer will recur. I do not think that is fatalistic of me... just realistic. I fight every day for one more day.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

cptmac · Experienced user Joined: 19 Apr 2007 Posts: 53

I have a lot of hope in the DNA aspect for cancer. They have been able to map out some of the genes that cause certain cancer. The next step is, to see if there is a way to change the genetic code to kill the cancer before you get it. I think this looks promising.

Of course, it's still in it's infancy and we haven't even tried it on animals yet.

I'm also interested in the nanotechnology where chemo is put into a small molecule that will seek out the cancer cells and kill them. So, our good cells won't have to degenerate and die. This works similarly like other things in our body. When we are in utero, we have webbed hands, however those cells die off and are left with fingers and toes.

People used to be skeptical and think we were wasting a lot of money because man would never fly, no less go to the moon or mars. It took years or research and a lot of money, but look, we landed a craft on Mars....

But, I'm a huge optimistist. I hope that a cure can be found while I am still alive.

Also, the program StandUp4Cancer is to bring the top minds of cancer research to include engineers, researchers, doctors etc together to find a cure. Currently, all of these different research centers get different grants and no one is sharing information back and forth to each other. This will help create an environment where the tops minds can get together, share information and get this whole thing moving.

cptmac · Experienced user Joined: 19 Apr 2007 Posts: 53

I just watched a program on stem cell research. They have been able to grow a new bladder from a persons stem cells. This procedure was first performed in a human 5 years ago and is still successful.

This is great, because then after the surgery, a person doesn't need to take a ton of drugs for immunosuppresents.

Soon they may be able to do this will all of our organs. They are currently working on the liver. Since my cancer metasticized to my liver, I'm looking forward to see where this research is going.

ChemoMan · Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 6:04 pm Post subject: Re: Cure for cancer in 10 years?

Hi atpeace7

I think you have the wrong idea about cancer. Its actually not a disease but more the bodies normal process's gone haywire. Different cancers have different causes and nobody understands perfectly why we get cancer anyway. Some cancers like NHL /HL are already curable and most people recover from it these days.
Any drug company that makes a cure is going to make a fortune, so your assertion that they don't want to find a cure makes no sense to me what so ever. I for one will forever be in debt to Roche for the rituxam that can CURE my lymphoma.
There is a lot wrong with the Big Pharma but not wanting to find a cure for cancer is not one of them.

Cheers
_________________
Age 52
Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma
Stage 2a
Finished six cycles of R chop 21 26th May 2008
Officially in remission 9th July 2008
Remission confirmed 1st October 2008
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=9620

Darwin · Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:39 am Post subject: Re: Cure for cancer in 10 years?

Lack of funding is certainly an issue for researchers so we have done our small part. Neither my ex husband or I have children or others who are financially dependent upon us so we each have left our estate to Cancer Research. Perhaps if each person who did have a family to provide for willed just $20 to this worthy cause there would be all the funding needed.
Anyway just an idea.
_________________
Ex husband's diagnosis was January 2006, stage IV bowel cancer with mets to liver and lungs. Two years of continuous chemo, folfox then folfirri. On MAX chemo now. Has had radiation to pelvic area and radioactive SIRT spheres injected through the portal vein into the liver.

Floridagirl2 · Regular Joined: 19 Jun 2008 Posts: 16

I'm not quite in either camp. While i think a cure for many more cancers seem promising, I think it's more than 10 years off.
And while I too think pharms have a stake in keeping us on meds, I'm not as cynical to think they are holding back on cancer cures. We are always going to have chronic diseases and symptoms and even some strange new diseases that may arise out of other environmental factors.
As far as AIDS, AIDS costs insurance companies and hospitals bundles and bundles of money. It sure is in their best interest to find cures.

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