Debunking cancer myths: Myth Number 2

The myth: If we can put a man on the moon, we should have a cure for cancer by now.

Cancer actually includes a large group of diseases. Each can be caused by many different factors. Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, doctors still have much to learn about what triggers a cell to become cancerous and why some people with cancer do better than others.In addition, cancer is a moving target. Cancer cells may continue to mutate and change during the course of the disease. This may lead to the cancer cells no longer responding to the chemotherapy drugs or radiation treatments that were initially given.Finding the cure for all cancer is, in fact, proving to be more complex than mastering the engineering and physics required for spaceflight.Watch out for Myth Number 3 same place, same time next week!(Source: Mayoclinic: Cancer Specialist Dr Timothy Moynihan: 3rd June 2003)