Is ther a cure for cancer?
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Cancer is actually a basket term for hundreds of diseases. The one thing they all have in common, though, are rapidly dividing cells that don't follow the normal rules applicable to the region in your body that they're in.
Traditional cancer chemotherapy ("chemo") is aimed at rapidly dividing cells. Unfortunately, it also kills normally rapidly dividing cells, such as those in your gastrointestinal tract (causing vomiting) and skin (causing hair loss). Chemotherapy generally cannot eliminate cancer. However, some childhood leukemias as well as Hodgkin's lymphoma are in fact completely curable with chemotherapy, as is testicular cancer in men.
There are also newer drugs out there that hit cancer cells in their weak spots - i.e., they hit stuff that cancer cells have that normal cells don't. These newer drugs are known as "kinase inhibitors" and "monoclonal antibodies". Combined with traditional "chemo", these newer treatments have helped cure a few types of cancer with less side effects and toxicity.
It depends on the type of cancer, when it's diagnosed, the staging of it, and the response to treatment. Today, there are more survivors than people dying from the disease, and that's something good.
No definitive cure. There are treatments for certain types. There are things to do to help prevent certain cancers. But the main thing is early detection. Most are treatable if caught early.
unfortunately no
An outright "cure" that completely stops cancer completely and reverses it no, but there are therapies that can be used to control many types of cancer. More of these therapies are coming.
Several Presidential candidates (or their wives) have cancer, including Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, Elizabeth Edwards, John McCain -- and they are taking on the task of running for President.
The point is that even though cancer has not yet been cured it can be controlled so that those inflicted with it can lead a normal or demanding life if they want.
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