| Cancer is a household word in our society. It would | | | | injected with a dose of a killed bacteria or virus, or a |
| be rare to meet somebody that does not know of a | | | | modified protein from one of these, to help your |
| person that has died of cancer, or even that has | | | | body recognize the illness and develop antibodies to |
| cancer currently. Celebrities' battles with cancer are | | | | it, which will fight the infection if you encounter it in a |
| well publicized, and many of us have picked up on | | | | live form (from somebody or thing that is infected |
| the common treatments for cancer and causes of | | | | with it). |
| cancer, without having any first hand experience with | | | | Dr Gisela Gonzalez headed the team that researched |
| it. It has become somewhat of a holy grail of | | | | and developed CimaVax EGF, which is said to be the |
| medicine, being the first to find a cure for cancer. In | | | | first lung cancer vaccine in the world. She did |
| fact, scientists in Cuba have recently made a | | | | recognize that other countries are working on similar |
| breakthrough in this area, patenting a new drug which | | | | vaccines, but they are in the development stage, |
| not only helps fight lung cancer, but can also | | | | while Cuba's is ready to be used on lung cancer |
| vaccinate against it. | | | | patients. It is tagged as a breakthrough in treating |
| The most common cause of lung cancer is long-term | | | | terminally ill patients, although not a miracle drug. |
| exposure to tobacco smoke. However, up to 20% | | | | The conventional treatments for lung cancer, like |
| of cases are caused by other environmental and | | | | heart cancer and many other forms of cancer, |
| genetic factors, including simple heredity, or exposure | | | | include radiotherapy and chemotherapy. These are |
| to asbestos, radon gas, air pollution, or second-hand | | | | often hard on a patient's body, causing skin problems, |
| cigarette smoke. Currently, with treatment, around | | | | loss of appetite, damage to surrounding tissues, and |
| 14% of people who develop lung cancer are still alive | | | | even secondary cancers. Anything that can be used |
| after five years, making lung cancer one of the | | | | to lower the number of chemotherapy or |
| deadliest forms of cancer. Around 1.3 million people | | | | radiotherapy treatments necessary can provide a |
| die of lung cancer every year, and it is the most | | | | better quality of life for lung cancer patients. |
| common form of cancer in men, and the second | | | | Testing has currently been approved by the US |
| most common in women, after breast cancer. On of | | | | government, however, clinical studies may not begin |
| the best weapons in the fight against lung cancer is | | | | for another two years. The tests in Cuba have |
| getting a regular cancer checkup. | | | | revealed that patients live an average of 6 months |
| Cuba has responded to these alarming statistics, with | | | | longer when treated with the vaccine in combination |
| a scientific research institute patenting a drug which | | | | with other therapies. This is a significant result in a |
| has helped lung cancer patients live up to a year | | | | disease where the average lifespan from diagnosis is |
| longer in some cases. The drug is called CimaVax | | | | only 20 months. It is the hope of researchers, as well |
| EGF, and it is actually classified as therapeutic vaccine, | | | | as families the world over, that these new |
| because it is composed of modified proteins that help | | | | treatments can increase the number of lung cancer |
| the body build its own defenses against cancer cells. | | | | survivors, and improve the quality of life for terminal |
| Vaccines that you have as a child, or when you | | | | patients. |
| travel overseas, work in the same way. You are | | | | |