by Azra Raza
Ninety percent cancers diagnosed at Stage I are cured. Ninety percent diagnosed at Stage IV are not. Early detection saves lives. Unfortunately, more than a third of the patients already have advanced disease at diagnosis. Most die. We can, and must, do better. But why be satisfied with diagnosing Stage I disease that also requires disfiguring and invasive treatments? Why not aim higher and track down the origin of cancer? The First Cell. To do so, cancer must be caught at birth. This remains a challenging problem for researchers.
Other articles in the series:
Part 1: The First Cell, Part 1: Old Yet A New Cancer Model
Part 3: The First Cell, Part 3: Force Majeure — Oncologists Are As Desperate As Their Patients
Part 4: The First Cell, Part 4: Giant Cells: “I Am Large, I Contain Multitudes”
part 5: The First Cell, Part 5: The Secret Sharer: Hybrid Cancer Cells