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Natural Selection and Modern Society...
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Re: Natural Selection and Modern Society...
I'm not totally convinced that all cancers are linked to the extent that a cure for one will be a cure for all. Is everything that we label as "cancer" really the same disease? Sure, some of the same disease processes happen, but I don't think that means that some genius can find the end-all cure.
Also, while I agree that our diets and living habits have some blame, there is sometimes too much blaming of the victim. Not everyone who comes down with a devastating illness has lived their life in such a way that they caused it.
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Posted 9/23/07 11:52 PM  |
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JessieQ
Rest in Peace baby Rogan
Member since 6/07 1122 total posts
Name:
Jessica
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Re: Natural Selection and Modern Society...
Posted by ssdbk
I'm not totally convinced that all cancers are linked to the extent that a cure for one will be a cure for all. Is everything that we label as "cancer" really the same disease? Sure, some of the same disease processes happen, but I don't think that means that some genius can find the end-all cure.
Also, while I agree that our diets and living habits have some blame, there is sometimes too much blaming of the victim. Not everyone who comes down with a devastating illness has lived their life in such a way that they caused it.
Exactly, they are linked in that there is uncontrolled cell division- cancers are now defined by the type of cell that began dividing to form the cancer- breast cancer started in a breast epithelial cell, lung cancer started in a lung cell, etc. But 5 different people with breast cancer could have 5 different mutations that caused it, so if you were designing a "cure" it probably wouldn't be the same cure for each of the 5 people.
Wikipedia has a really clear explanation of how complex cancers are, it's a really informative page and has a lot of useful links.
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| Posted 9/24/07 12:09 AM |
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nrthshgrl
It goes fast. Pay attention.
Member since 7/05 57538 total posts
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Re: Natural Selection and Modern Society...
I definitely believe companies are looking for a cure. I think it would be the biggest moneymaker of all time if they made the one drug that cured cancer.
Right now, each company is sharing in profits as they all have different drugs to stave off cancers. The one that actually cures it, will have the all time money maker. Yes there is a lot of money made in maintaining the sick. But billions of dollars would be made on a cure.
However cancer, unfortunately, affects all too many people. I agree there are too many loved ones die of cancer. I don't know when they'll find the cure. I believe it will be found. I just wish they would hurry up. For my friends' sakes, I need them to find it soon.
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| Posted 9/24/07 6:45 AM |
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JessieQ
Rest in Peace baby Rogan
Member since 6/07 1122 total posts
Name:
Jessica
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Re: Natural Selection and Modern Society...
Posted by nrthshgrl
I definitely believe companies are looking for a cure. I think it would be the biggest moneymaker of all time if they made the one drug that cured cancer.
Right now, each company is sharing in profits as they all have different drugs to stave off cancers. The one that actually cures it, will have the all time money maker. Yes there is a lot of money made in maintaining the sick. But billions of dollars would be made on a cure.
However cancer, unfortunately, affects all too many people. I agree there are too many loved ones die of cancer. I don't know when they'll find the cure. I believe it will be found. I just wish they would hurry up. For my friends' sakes, I need them to find it soon.
I honestly don't think there will ever be one drug that can cure all cancer. There are a number of cancers (testicular cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma, etc) where a specific combination of chemotherapeutic drugs, radiation, and/or surgery results in a high "cure" rate- but even then it's not just take a pill and you're cured- it doesn't work on everyone, and it's still a rough treatment regiment. Plus the chemotherapeutic drugs and radiation can cause nasty side effects, and, in the example of Hodgkin's lymphoma, can actually cause cancer (they call it secondary cancer). Again it's so sad that we've been led to believe that "the cure" is just years away. Not to say I'm pessimistic about our fighting cancer- there are new technologies and drugs all the time- but I don't think there will ever be 1 cure.
Honestly I think for pharmaceutical companies the money is in drugs that help people live with diseases (like those that lower blood pressure or treat diabetes), where patients take them for the rest of their life, not in any cures. For the same reasons vaccines don't make drug companies much money, the cost of developing a drug is too high- they won't bother unless they know there's a big return. That's why I totally believe in increasing government funding of biological research- independently-funded scientists are able to study potential "cures" as well as work to understand and beat "less popular" cancers.
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| Posted 9/24/07 9:22 AM |
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| Pages: 1 [2] |
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