[CapnJack]

If Dr. Weissman and his team were on to something that could possibly be a “cure”, you could rest assured his research would disapear along with Dr. Weissman and his team.

There is huge money in treating cancer, not in curing it.

[depenzz]

“There is huge money in treating cancer, not in curing it.”

Isn’t it a shame and a sin that we live in a society that a statement like yours is true.

[Yaelle]

There is huge money in treating cancer, not in curing it.

---

Ohhhh, how right you are. I hate the ribbons and walks and cancer charities because the $ and attention airways goes in the wrong direction. Oncology can be barbaric today.

[gzzimlich]

Cancer can’t be cured because it isn’t a disease. Its a catch-all term to describe a form of cell mutation that is far greater in its diversity than even cancer researchers thought until a few years ago.

Until then, genetics and “personalised therapy” was the holy grail.

That is, until evolution stepped in.

When they began sequencing the genomes of tumors they found that not only are different tumors entirely different animals genetically, but the same genetic diversity exists within different parts of the same tumor due to the fact that cancer evolves rapidly (makes sense when you consider the basic error is in speeded up DNA replication) as it grows.. even with the same tumor.

Thus, a needle biopsy of a tumor of clinically significant size is going to yield a genetic profile that is inconsistent with other parts of the tumor.

Once you add distant metastasis to the problem, the complexities multiply.

As for the foil hat nonsense.. there was tons of money in “managing” polio and TB too, yet I don’t recall hearing about sudden disappearances of vaccine researchers and people doing trials on antibiotic regimens.

Unfortunately its exactly because cancer is so difficult to treat that there is such a vast amount of misunderstanding, funding foolishness and blatant quackery in the field.

[Bill S]

Thank God that I’m a 10 year cancer survivor, one day at a time. I have a wonderful Oncology doctor.
You cynics disgust me.

[oh8eleven]

There is huge money in treating cancer, not in curing it.
It's not just cancer. Jerry Lewis' muscular dystrophy telethon has averaged $45-$50 million a year for the last 45 years.
And what progress is there to show for almost half a century of "research?"

[editor-surveyor]

>> “There is huge money in treating cancer, not in curing it.” <<

.
The ‘huge’ money is in the drugs, and so far, none of them has a lasting effect. Cures don’t buy airplanes and yachts, but drugs do.
.