| Many volunteers world-wide commit themselves to | | | | dissolving the clumps for more effective treatment. |
| raising funds for cancer research and cancer charities. | | | | Anti-oncogene products: specific portions of D.N.A., |
| Many hundreds of thousands more work in the | | | | called oncogenes, that have an important role in |
| industry as carers, or researching, prescribing, | | | | promoting cancer growth. Drugs that interfere with |
| diagnosing and manufacturing drugs. Huge companies | | | | the production of oncogenes may be useful for the |
| spend fortunes on cancer research. After so long and | | | | future treatment of cancer. |
| so many billions spent what exactly has cancer | | | | Gene therapy: research into the use of tumour |
| research revealed? | | | | suppressant genes is highlighted in the British National |
| There have been regular breakthroughs in our | | | | Cancer Plan as an important element. Essentially, bits |
| understanding of cancer, but little progress in its | | | | of DNA are inserted to replace missing or damaged |
| treatment. Modern research into cancer began in the | | | | genes, possibly preventing the development of |
| 1940's and 50's when scientists isolated substances | | | | cancer in someone who might be 'high risk'. |
| that killed cancer cells growing in a petri dish, or | | | | Vaccines: very quietly the search for a general cure |
| leukaemia cells in laboratory mice. Early successes in | | | | for cancer is being put aside in preference to finding |
| chemotherapy set the pace and received much | | | | a vaccine. The whole idea of a cure or treatment |
| media exposure, even though they only applied to | | | | that is 'the same for everybody' breaks down in the |
| 5% of cancer treatments at most. | | | | case of the specific, chaotic conditions that cause |
| Serving humanity by solving its major diseases has a | | | | cancer in an individual person. After billions spent on |
| celebrity status, there is a lot of kudos and an air of | | | | research for the holy grail of a cancer cure, the |
| Hollywood involved in such things. Cancer research is | | | | search is now on to find a vaccine. |
| high profile activity and every now and then a | | | | At a recent cancer immunology conference in the US |
| scientific treatment is discovered that gains wide | | | | top immunologists from 21 nations attended lectures |
| recognition, such as the HPV-16 trial, but it only | | | | on the latest immunology topics such as: |
| applies itself to the treatment of a small percentage | | | | · cancer immunosurveillance |
| of cancers. Mass-media hype is part of the problem | | | | · immunoediting |
| of how we see cancer. Early discoveries set up an | | | | · cancer antigen discovery |
| expectation that there was a cure-all treatment, a | | | | · monitoring and analysing the immunological |
| 'magic bullet' that would make its discoverer famous | | | | response to human cancer |
| by curing cancer across the world. The idea stems in | | | | · cancer vaccine development |
| part from aspirin, the original bullet that magically finds | | | | The Cancer Vaccine Collaborative (CVC) was |
| its way to the pain and diminishes it. Even now | | | | launched to much excitement. It is a unique research |
| boasts of 'paradigm shifts' in orthodox cancer care | | | | program that should improve how cancer vaccines |
| are exaggerated. | | | | are developed, based on a collaboration of six New |
| In the 1950's and 60's huge and expensive research | | | | York medical centres and one in Minnesota. The aim |
| projects were set up to test every known | | | | of their research is to find out how to effectively |
| substance to see if it effected cancer cells. You | | | | immunise against cancer using a vaccine, using 'action |
| might remember the discovery of the Madagascar | | | | research'. |
| Periwinkle (Catharansus Roseus), which revealed | | | | Vaccines made from donor blood are proving to |
| alkaloids (vinblastine and vincristine) that are still used | | | | work for some cancers. Experiments with bone |
| in chemotherapy today. Taxol, a treatment for | | | | marrow transplants show there are about 40,000 |
| ovarian and breast cancer originally came from the | | | | different tissue types making it hard to find a match. |
| Pacific Yew tree. A treatment for testicular cancer | | | | Usually a perfect match can only be found within the |
| and small-cell lung cancer called 'Etoposide' was | | | | patient's direct family. Incorrect matches can create a |
| derived from the May apple. In 'Plants Used Against | | | | host of secondary dis-eases. Scientist are finding |
| Cancer' by Jonathan Hartwell over 3,000 plants are | | | | ways to train Killer T cells taken either from the host |
| identified from medical and folklore sources for | | | | or a donor, to more effectively attack cancer cells. |
| treating cancer, about half of which have been | | | | They have noticed that donor Killer T cells that are |
| shown to have some effect on cancer cells in a test | | | | already 'primed' for a particular cancer (e.g. the donor |
| tube. | | | | body cells 'remember' the disease) can be highly |
| When these plants are made into synthetic drugs, | | | | effective. It may take many years to prove validity, |
| single chemicals are isolated and the rest of the plant | | | | reliability, safety and efficacy for this treatment. |
| is usually thrown away. The medicinally active | | | | Harvesting the natural immunity of our own, or donor |
| molecules are extracted from the plant and modified | | | | cells with the aid of genetic engineering may well |
| until they are chemically unique. Then the compound | | | | become a big player against modern immune |
| is patented, given a brand name and tested. | | | | attacking dis-eases. |
| In the first phase it will generally be tested on | | | | Increased screening: this type of research looks at |
| animals, the second phase will decide dosage levels | | | | genetically identifying individuals who might be at high |
| and in phase 3 it is tested on people. By the time it is | | | | risk of certain types of cancer and is partly a |
| approved by the Federal Drugs Authority (in U.S.A.) | | | | preparation for possible vaccines. Genetic counselling |
| or the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulation | | | | is set to become a 21st century contributor to health |
| Agency (M.H.R.A.) in Britain, the development costs | | | | care based on prevention of disease as much as |
| for a new drug can reach five hundred million dollars, | | | | cure. |
| which eventually has to be recouped from the | | | | Combinations: research from West Germany |
| consumer. | | | | (Grossart-Maticek) argues that there is no single |
| In addition to 'treatment directed' research such as | | | | cause for cancer, similar to the pattern in most |
| finding chemicals that effect cancer cells, basic | | | | chronic illness. It shows there are environmental, |
| research continues apace, into differences between | | | | psychological and spiritual dimensions to disease. The |
| normal and cancerous cells. In the last 30 years this | | | | implication is that treatment should be on the same |
| research has revealed much about our nature, but still | | | | levels, and that no single treatment is likely to be |
| no cure. Below are some current strands of scientific | | | | effective because there is no single cause. This |
| research into cancer.antibody-guided therapy: this is | | | | observation links with the position of many Holistic |
| the original 'magic bullet'. Cancer researchers use | | | | practitioners who often have a wider view of health |
| monoclonal antibodies to carry poisons directly to the | | | | than orthodox medical practitioners. |
| cancer cells without harming others.chronobiology: | | | | Dr. Robert Buckman is an experienced cancer |
| much of what happens in our bodies is governed by | | | | researcher, and author of the informative book: |
| cycles, from the female monthly cycle to the cycles | | | | 'What You Really Need to Know About Cancer'. He |
| of brainwaves. Human health depends on interacting | | | | summarises what he sees as the present position of |
| cycles geared to acts of perception, breathing, | | | | scientific cancer research: |
| reproduction and renewal. Chronobiology analyses | | | | "We now have a very large number of ways of |
| these cycles in relation to different times, such as | | | | looking at cancer cells in the laboratory. We have |
| day and night. Hormones, including stress and growth | | | | thousands of different types of cancer cells growing |
| hormones, have their own cycles. For example they | | | | in dishes, many of which can be grown and then |
| may be at their highest activity in the morning and | | | | cured in laboratory bred mice. We also have |
| quieter at night. Cancer cells seem to no longer obey | | | | thousands of different ways of looking at and testing |
| the same cycle rates as normal cells. | | | | those cells. We can look at the cells' growth, their |
| Anti-telomerase: one part of a cell, called the | | | | abilities to produce different substances, their |
| telomerase, governs the life cycle of a cell and how | | | | sensitivity to some chemotherapy drugs and their |
| many times it may multiply. Some cancer cells escape | | | | resistance to others, the way they respond to |
| this control and can increase the number of times | | | | growth factors, their genetic material including |
| they divide, becoming 'immortal'. Researchers hope to | | | | oncogenes and substances controlled by oncogenes, |
| gain control over cancer cells by stopping the action | | | | their ability to effect other cells (of the immune |
| of telomerase. | | | | system, for example), their ability to damage |
| Anti-angiogenesis: secondary tumours (metastasis) | | | | membranes and invade, their structure under the |
| can persuade the cells around them to grow new | | | | electron microscope and whether or not the cell |
| blood vessels to feed the tumours, supplying oxygen | | | | surface has any of hundreds of different marker |
| and nutrients for the growing cancer. This process is | | | | molecules on it. These are just a few examples of |
| called angiogenesis and research here is finding ways | | | | what can be done nowadays: the complete list of |
| to stop the signals to normal cells that start the | | | | ways in which cancer cells can be tested would |
| process. | | | | probably be longer than this entire book. But here is |
| Anti-adhesion molecules: Cancer cells form into | | | | the snag: although this accumulation of experience is |
| clumps, unlike those in a petri dish which form into a | | | | wonderful and commendable, cancer in human beings |
| flatter arrangement. When there are clumps of cells | | | | is far more complicated then any laboratory system |
| they seem to possess a quality that resists | | | | can ever be (at least in the light of current |
| treatment. This strand of research looks at ways | | | | knowledge)". |
| that can stop the cells clumping together, by | | | | |