It is comforting to know that the cancer crisis lies close to the hearts of many dedicated scientists. For them, the thrill to discover new meanings and cures must be most exhilarating. As research costs millions, we should all feel ‘voluntarily obliged’ to – one way or the other – support cancer research. Sometimes a research team will spend many, many hours on a possible cure, just to reach disappointment with the results. But they never give up. When they discover a link that makes sense, it brings hope to millions of cancer sufferers.

There are many research teams across the globe who gives special attention to each-and-every type of cancer. Which ever cancer touches your life – there’s hours of work done especially for you and others like you. To hear, see or read up on what has been discovered lately is elating. Here is just SOME of the latest research:

Anal Cancer
To avoid permanent colostomies, implanting an artificial bowel sphincter is being researched. By combining more accurate external radiation with internal radiation might be more effective. Adding Erbitux (used for colorectal cancer) with chemotherapy might improve success. Vaccines to prevent HPV16 and 18 should prevent certain types of anal cancer. Researchers are comparing the use of 5-FU with Mitomycin, and 5-FU with Cisplatin, to see which is more effective.
Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia (APL)
Researchers in Harbin and Shangai found that arsenic trioxide (an active ingredient found in a traditional Chinese remedy) induces up to 70% successful remissions, when used together with modern medicines. This is the same team of researchers who developed the current treatment for APL.
Brain Cancer
Blocking the activity of the inherited faulty gene – NF1 - is being researched. Understanding why they multiply so rapidly will shed some light on therapies to halt them. They are also looking at children’s brain cancer and its role in exposure to certain infections. The BMi1 gene seems to play a crucial role in medulloblastoma growth, and is therefore being looked at as a target for a new anti-cancer drug.
Breast Cancer
Prof. Charles Coombes (U.K.) is trying to find the reason why oestrogen binds to breast cancer cells, thus encouraging them to grow. By discovering the reason, more powerful anti-oestrogen drugs can be developed. He was also involved in the detection of remission caused by taking tamoxifen and exemestane in a specific sequence.
Bowel Cancer
Prof Matt Seymour is now looking at combining irinotecan (the usual drug) with panitumunab for more effectiveness. Panitumunab (an antibody) sticks to protein on the surface of cancer cells, and stops them growing.
Cervical Cancer
HPV 18, and especially HPV16, combined with smoking prove a significant risk.
In early stages, doing robotically-assisted hysterectomies are just as effective as the traditional ‘open radical hysterectomies’. For advanced stages, researchers want to launch a PhaseIII clinical trial, GOG240 (a non-Platinol-based chemotherapy) in the hope of positive results. Scientists are also interested to see whether adding Avastin will prove effective.
Lung Cancer
This is probably the most preventable cancer. Dr. Siow-Ming Lee and his team are still working to advance the drug cisplatin, used for SCLC.
Prof. Michele Saunders is looking at new radiotherapy (‘Chartwel’) for NSCLC - where x-rays are administered in shorter and more frequent bursts.
Melanoma
Melanoma can be avoided. It seems that high doses of interferon alfa-2a adjuvant therapy show benefits for a relapse free survival. The negatives concerning this treatment are the high costs and toxicity that are still a threat. The FDA accepted this form of therapy, although recent studies in the U.K. showed no significant benefit. More committed research is being undertaken for the melanoma cause.
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Dr. Simon Rule is testing new combinations of drugs in the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma.
Profs Alan Rickinson-and Lawrence Young are studying how the EBV virus plays a role in these cancers.
The gene RUNX1, that certainly plays a role in lymphoma and leukaemia, is being studied by Prof. Jim Neal.

Cancer deaths have fallen over 10% during the last decade. This is great news!! These are the statistics on the best survived cancers:
Women
1. Malignant Melanoma
2. Breast Cancer
3. Uterine Cancer
Men
1. Testicular Cancer
2. Melanoma
3. Prostate Cancer
Children
1. Retinoblastoma
2. Gonadal Germ Cell Tumours
3. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Always ask your oncologist about the latest research regarding your type of cancer, or delve into it yourself. And - remember to support a cancer fighting cause!!