Why can't we find a cure for cancer?

Answer 1

A lot of cancers are curable, the number of incurable cancers are decreasing

Answer 2

Many cancers are curable. - but unfortunately some are not.

There are three important factors which affect the chance of having a cure: the type of cancer, how 'advanced' that cancer is when it is discovered, and how well the cancer responds to treatment.

Cancer is not a single disease. There are hundreds of different types of cancer and each of these different types has different chances of cure. So, for example, cures are very common in conditions like breast cancer, bowel cancer, testicular cancer, skin cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma, but they are much less common in cancers of the lung, pancreas and stomach.

For any one type of cancer, a tumour that is diagnosed when it is small and has not spread at all will always have a better chance of a cure than one that is only discovered when it is more advanced, and has grown to a large size and sent seedlings, called secondary cancers, to other parts of the body. So, for example, a bowel cancer that has not spread beyond the lining of the wall of the bowel is usually completely cured by an operation whereas a bowel cancer that is only found when it has already sent seedlings to the liver is only rarely curable. On the other hand, with cancers that are very sensitive to treatment, such as Hodgkin lymphoma or testicular cancer, most people can still be cured even when the cancer has developed widespread secondaries.

It is important to mention that modern cancer treatments are also improving cure rates. Many kinds of cancer that were almost always incurable fifty years ago are now routinely cured by modern day therapies.

Answer 3

There are very few (if any) cures for anything. At best we can expect to be relieved of a few symptoms, or indeed side-effects from drugs we are taking to 'cure' our diseases in the first place.

As far as cancer is concerned, it is quite tragic that 95% of cancer cells are dead on the outside anyway, before they develop into something more lively.

What needs to be addressed, whilst waiting for said cure, is why your body is failing to recognise the cancer cell in the first place. A nifty little process has to take place where biological data can be transferred from one cell to another. Even the most basic and common diseases rely on this process to take place.

If the human body's defences are compromised, bad cells such as cancer cells will simply be allowed to flourish. There is a scientifically validated way to re-arm these defences, based on a science which (within the last decade) took four consecutive Nobel Prizes. Despite remarkable results, it cannot and should not be regarded as a 'cure'.

I can get some information to you if you like. There is a basic explanation as to how cells are recognised by your body's natural defences in the website shown.

Good Luck.

Answer 4

I think the reason for the lack of a cure is that their are too many types of cancer with too many causes. Cancer is the unrestrained growth of your own cells, so you can not use a specific target, like you can with a bacteria, as the cell is too similar to your healthy cells, and to destroy them would destroy your healthy cells as well.

A cure will one day be found. A possibility lies in our genes, there may be a trigger that is present in every form of cancer, and that could then lead to a cure, of course, if this gene is multifunctional, then the cure for cancer may cause other problems.

Until a generic cure for cancer is found, we will have to keep on looking the way we are now, for cures to individual cancers. Even this however is not fool proof, as people react differently to different treatment, and what works for one person may be completely useless in another individual.

Answer 5

the cure for cancer would be to not live in these times.. have you noticed that cancer has been skyrocketing? It's because of our life styles.

Answer 6

Who says there isn't already a cure for cancer ? With all the government knows they probably already have a cure, but if they released it, the whole medical industry would take a plunge, cancer treatment is the number one money maker that keeps the medical industry going.

Answer 7

According to some lab in the USA, they have found cures for lung,skin and stomach cancer as well as the brain cancer, they cured a few people, but they are tryign their best to cure different people who dont respond well....I donate to cancer research every month.....and they are getting closer....and most cancers are curable.

Answer 8

Maybe some day we will. Every time someone shakes a charity collection tin at you on the street, give a little. Might go towards research to help find a cure. Probably not in my lifetime though. But think of your children, your grandchildrenn, your great grandchildren, your great great grandchildren. Some day, some where, who knows when.

Answer 9

I have heard there is a cure but the Big Drug Companies will not let it out, Just like I believe there is a cure for the Cold , but see without these problems there wouldn't be big profits for the drug companies. I think they will pay for withholding treatments or cures for the diseases.

Answer 10

The cynic in me says that there probably are more cures than we know about but there's much more money to be made by witholding it and charging for all the many different "treatments", paying for the hospital staff and equipment etc than there is to be made by releasing it onto the market.

Not that I'm bitter.

Answer 11

There is a cure. The pharmaceutical companies just make too much money off of people's illnesses so why would they get rid of their biggest source of profit?