Why is there never really a cure for cancer with all the billions of dollars that has been given to research?

Answer 1

"Cancer" is actually thousands of different diseases, each with a different set of causes that need to be defined so that more effective medications can be developed. Since cells are fantastically complex, each expressing tens of thousands of different proteins which then interact in a very dynamic fashion, determining what goes wrong in cancer cells is very challenging. Despite this, there have been terrific advances in the technology for investigating cancer and many effective treatments have been developed in the past two decades. Definitely progress would be faster if more money were devoted to this problem.

Implicit in your question is that too much money is being spent on cancer research with too little return. Just to keep things in perspective, the amount of money spent by the US government each YEAR on cancer research (~$5 billion dollars, see http://plan.cancer.gov/NCIBudgetRequest.shtml) is close to what is spent each 2 WEEKs on the war in Iraq. In 2005, 1,300,000 Americans were diagnosed with cancer and over 500,000 died and cancer is now the #1 cause of death in the US for persons less than 85 years old (see http://caonline.amcancersoc.org/cgi/content/abstract/55/1/10). The chances for each American developing cancer during their lifetime is approaching 50% (see http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2003/results_merged/topic_lifetime_risk.pdf). You decide whether it makes sense how your tax money is being spent and if too much is being spent on cancer research.

Answer 2

It's because cancer moves to fast for us. More and more people are being effected with cancer, and billions of dollars doesn't even begin to cover it. Also, most of the money is used to keep cancer patients alive, so there's no time to waste finding a cure. Note: When people first evolved, cancer wasn't around. Something the human race did must have caused cancer to harm the lives of millions.

Answer 3

Now listen. People will tell you that it is due to the drug companies, medical professionals, population control (good god people!!!) Cancer is not a wham-bam-thank you mam sort of issue. There is not one kind of cancer cell, there is not one kind of way to get it, and there is not one way to treat it. If there is cell in your body, there may be a trigger to make it malignant. Some cancers react better to Chemotherapy, some to Radiation, some to surgery. We have made incredible strides in the cancer fight, but we are still trying to figure out these diseases.

I work every week with cancer patients and their fight. Don't say that we are not fighting. I dare you to walk in my shoes for a week and then say there is no fight. We will win.

Another reason for not being able to cure all cancers right now is that the cure sometimes is just as lethal to the body as the cancer is. You are trying to maintain the healthy cells in the body while at the same time kill the cells that have become malignant. These cells have come from the healthy cells to begin with. Now do you see the issue? There will be a cure for cancer. It will start with one and work its way down.

Answer 4

This more then likely is not true but what I believe.
I think that there have been a couple cures for cancer but nothing that ever became public only because there are three things that keep the population down in the world. War, Famine, and Disease. Well with advances in War Technology it limits the amounts of casualties alot compared to the casualties in WWII. The concept of famine is also wiped out due to technology. So if we where do eliminate the number 1 killer what would be left. No disease means over population. Its hard to accept but its true.

Answer 5

Some cancer research has made great strides, people's survival rate has increased significantly in the last decade. However, certain cancers manage to evade cures because of their rate of growth and lack of symptoms. Remember slow growing cancers are the worst because of the fewer cycles of reproduction they go through which means less opportunity to destroy it. Also cancers that act systemically, which attack all systems are harder to treat as well because it is every where. Don't stop supporting the different research programs because they do make head way it just a very hard tedious battle.

Answer 6

Every malignancy is a different problem. Some are caused by environmental factors, others by chemicals at work and some by viruses. Also, the viruses change and what works one time may not later. The idea that anyone is concealing a cure to make money is absurd, and indicates an unappealing cynicism.

Answer 7

The government, If people didn't die from Cancer the world would be overpopulated. This is the Governments way of population control. And they are making money off of it. Sad but true.

Answer 8

Becase there's billions of dollars being spent on research.There's far more money to be made by doing research then in finding a cure.Unfortunate but it seems to be true.

Answer 9

Hard to find a cure when you have no real idea why cancer occurs in the first place.
And let's face it, the industry makes alot of money on the treatment of cancers.

Answer 10

Several Reasons.
First, it isn't like changing a flat tire.The average doctor can't even begin to understand the complexity of all the different types of cancer.
Second,they are finding effective treatments for certain types of cancer.
Lastly, never give up hope for the cure to be found,an entire sector of medicine is devoted to solving this terrible group of diseases.