Cancer Research

In 1974, Nobel Laureate and MIT Professor, Salvador Luria, established the Center for Cancer Research, in order to properly study the genetic and molecular basis of cancer, the immune system’s ability to recognize antigens, and the cellular behavior during growth. In December 2010, Luria’s dream will reach heights, he could have never imagined, when the doors open to the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. An institute, which will stand as one of the SEVEN National Cancer Institute-designated basic research centers in the United States.

The Institute will house 11 core facilities in what is called the Swanson Biotechnology Center (or SBC), which will interact with a network of 90 biotechnology and bio pharmaceutical companies; along with Boston’s world class institutions, such as, Children’s Hospital Boston, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Massachusetts General Hospital. Within the walls of the Institute, two dozen biologist and engineers, will be working together to advance the cause of cancer research. In conjunction with the faculty, the Institute will have 120 postdoctoral associates, 50 research scientists, 70 technical assistants, and over 200 graduates and undergraduates striving for the same goal.

The Institute will focus on five target areas, which are necessary for the rapid progress in cancer research; developing nanotechnolgy based theraputics, creating novel devices for cancer detection and monitoring, exploring the molecular and cellular basis of metastasis, establishing the relationship between cancer pathways and drug resistance, and engineering the immune system to properly fight cancer.

Through these forms of research, the Koch Institute, has contributed to incredible discoveries within the field of cancer research. Discoveries, such as, isolating the first human cancer genes, identifying the molecules that led to two of the first FDA-approved molecularly targeted anti cancer drugs, and developed novel materials for sustained delivery of anti-cancer drugs.

Since the early 70’s MIT, has contributed enormous discoveries to the cancer research field, their faculty has earned the most prestigious accolades in the national and international science fields. Currently, five members of faculty were awarded the Nobel Prize, 15 faculty are members of the National Academy of Sciences, two faculty are memebers of the National Academy of Engineering, six members of faculty have been awarded the National Medal of Science, and nine faculty members are Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators.

Along with being the epicenter of cancer research, The Institute, also holds the annual Summer Symposium. Next year, the Summer Symposium, will take place on June 10th and 11th; featuring four separate sessions. Each session will allow the public to converse and engage in a Q&A (question and answer) on four different topics (i.e. Cancer Immunology and Translation, Cellular Mechanisms of Tumorigensis, Detecting and Modeling Cancer, From Systems to Targets). If you are interested in information surrounding the Summer Symposium, or general information on The Institute; go to, http://web.mit.edu/ki/

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has recently gone public with his rare form of leukemia, a blood cancer known as chronic myelogenous leukemia.

For those who knew Abdul-Jabbar, it is not a surprise that the legend has already began to administer words of inspiration and advice.

“I’m doing very well,” he said. “But you have to find a specialist that understands your condition. You have to get your blood checked regularly. And you have to take your medication.  If you do that, you can manage this particular form of leukemia and live a very productive life with minimal intrusion into the things that you love to do,” he said.

He has become the spokesperson for the drug company that is treating his disease, urging people to go in for regular checkups and blood-work.

The cancer is indeed rare, with approximately 4,800 people diagnosed per year.  The survival rate for the first 5 years after diagnosis with a drug called imatinib sits at 89 percent.  Abdul-Jabbar is the spokesperson for Novartis, a pharmaceutical company that makes a proprietary form of imatib.

Abdul-Jabbar is 62-years-old, and has received news from his doctor that he will likely have the chance to live a full life.  He took inspiration from his ex-teammate Magic Johnson, who fought for HIV awareness after being diagnosed in 1991.

He also implored the U.S. government to take care of its less fortunate, who often cannot afford treatment.  With the new health bill in the works, Barack Obama’s reform just might take care of the demand.

Prostate Cancer

If you find out that you have cancer of any kind your initial reaction would be to find out treatment options immediately. This is not the case for everyone, especially if the type of cancer is very difficult to detect and the treatment options cause you further harm. When it comes to prostate cancer you may not know you even have it and unfortunately there is no general screening test for it. To find out if you have prostate cancer and if you will need treatment you need to visit a doctor who will conduct an examination. Prostate cancer affects only men and develops in the male sex gland called the prostate gland. Cancer causes the cells in the prostate to grow abnormally and out of control. This is a very common cancer and often develops slowly over a lengthy period of time. Since prostate cancer is not easy to diagnose or find out about the treatment is not always taken by individuals who have prostate cancer. The side affects associated with treatment of this disease often make the patients opt not to receive any number of treatment options. Here are some of the possible treatments offered to those with prostate cancer and some of the side affects that these treatments may induce.

Surgery- There are several different types of surgeries that are designed to remove the cancer. The risk is high in these types of surgeries and there is no guarantee that the result will be entirely positive. Surgery is very expensive and is not necessary for every patient with Prostate cancer. This treatment should be discussed thoroughly and it may be a good idea to get a second opinion if your doctor suggests that you will need surgery for your prostate cancer.

Cryosurgery-Another treatment that is similar to surgery is cryosurgery. This is simply surgery that utilizes medical technology that will freeze the cancerous cells. This type of treatment is offered for several other types of cancer as well.

Hormone Therapy-This will work to treat the cancer by attempting to balance the hormones in one’s system.

Radiation Therapy-Radiation will work to kill the cancerous cells, but it has some negative side affects.

Chemotherapy-A very harsh therapy of chemicals that are bombarded into the cancerous site, chemotherapy will work to kill the cancerous cells but may take out healthy cells along its destructive path.

Pain Killers-This is a treatment option that will only help manage the pain associated with prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer, like any other cancer is a dangerous disease. Although it may be present and never exhibit harmful affects in some men, for others this can become a painful and exhausting uphill battle. With the proper treatment and early detection, this cancer may be manageable. Take the time to have more than one doctor assess your health situation. You may not need surgery and the choice is yours when it comes to how you want to proceed with the management of your disease. The cause of this disease has not been identified yet.

Ovarian Cancer

A cancer that is specific to women is Ovarian cancer. This is cancer that is located in the reproductive organs of the female body. Usually this type of cancer will develop into a tumor. The cancerous cells that spread to the ovaries, one or both, will clump together and form a tumor. If this tumor is caught early on the chances of removing all of the cancer are still high and the survival rate of those diagnosed with an ovarian cancer tumor are higher. If you have a tumor and it has been developing for quite some time undetected by your doctors the tumor may have spread the ovarian cancer throughout your body. beginning with your ovaries. Women who have a tumor because of ovarian cancer often have their ovaries removed, preventing the cancer from spreading to the rest of their body. However the result can be devastating. A tumor that develops in the ovaries of a woman can be classified into three categories.

1.)Stromal. This type of ovarian cancer tumor is named for its placement and function. The tumor develops from tissue that surrounds the ovary. This type is usually very treatable if it is detected early on. The chances of survival are higher if it is caught early and treated right away.

2.) Epithelial. This forms from the tissue that makes up the ovary on the surface. This is one of the most common types that occur with ovarian cancer. Most of the time, these tumors are found to be benign in nature. This means that the tumor is not negatively influencing or changing the body.

3.)Germ Cell. Ovarian cancer tumors develop from the cells and tissue that produce the eggs. There are several different types of germ cell tumors and most are usually benign in nature. If it is considered malignant it may be life threatening. The same treatment applies and removal of the tumor is usually one of the top choices for treatment followed by several rounds of chemotherapy.

With any cancer, it is best to try and catch it early in its stages of development. However this is not always the case and not always possible. Ovarian cancer is hard to detect and there is no set general screening test for it. The lack of screening for ovarian cancer makes it difficult to prevent and there are several other factors that may contribute to its cause and development. Age, health and genetics play a role in the risk factor development of this type of cancer. If you have a family member or you have experienced another type of cancer you are at a higher level of risk to get this cancer. If you have not had children and you are older than 40, you also have a higher risk of getting this disease. There are some ways to help prevent this cancer and to manage it once it is discovered. Some doctors recommend the use of oral contraception since it has shown the ability to lower the risk of ovarian cancer.

cancer

Cancer comes in many different forms and almost anyone could get it. It is a disease that has many different types with varying speeds of growth and intensity. Some cancer can be fast spreading while others will take years to develop. It is characterized by the overgrowth of cells, or development of tumors. Abnormal cells or cancer cells will begin to grow rapidly and out of control, taking over the healthy cells that remain and struggle to survive. These abnormal or cancer cells can clump together which would cause a tumor to develop. If a tumor is diagnosed as malignant it will most likely have to be removed. This is because cancer cells spread and divide rapidly and would quickly bring unhealthy cells to other parts of the body surrounding the original tumor. Although cancer claims the lives of so many people every day there are ways to treat it. Treatment of cancer varies from person to person and the treatment of cancer should be implemented right away when the disease is discovered. Here is a list of possible treatment of this disease and the situations surrounding the treatment of this disease.

Treatment of Cancer:

The first step in the treatment of cancer is the diagnosis. Before deciding on the treatment of your cancer, your doctor and possibly a second doctor, should provide you with an accurate diagnosis of the type and seriousness of your cancer. After the diagnosis your doctor should provide you with choices on treatment of your cancer. The treatment of cancer can include any number of combinations of the following options:

1.) Chemotherapy. This is used in the treatment of many cancers and is probably the most well known treatment of this disease available today. It is a harsh set of drugs that are given during a set number of rounds depending on the seriousness of the cancer that you have. The treatment of cancer using chemotherapy can be long and exhausting. It depletes your health because it kills both the unhealthy cells and some of your body’s healthy cells. This treatment has negative health side affects and may cause you to lose some or all of your hair.

2.)Radiation. This is a treatment that uses radiant technology to kill unhealthy cells. This treatment also has negative side affects but it can be extremely helpful in treating and managing this diseases.

3.)Surgery. This is usually an option that is made available to those who have tumors. Removal of a tumor is intended to hopefully prevent the further spreading and growth of unhealthy cells.

These treatments are all used to deal with this disease but since there is no cure yet for this terrible disease, these treatments serve to help those who are struggling with the disease. With current and future research dedicated to this disease, a cure may be eventually possible. In the mean time, if these treatments do not work, either a combination of them will be used or a patient can look into clinical trials with new drugs to see if those will help or improve their condition at all.

Breast Cancer

Cancer affects nearly every part of the human body, but how can you tell when and where you will get it, if you even do? When it comes to breast cancer, prevention and awareness are key. Going to the doctor for routine examinations will enable you to keep way ahead of cancer. If you are being proactive and discover that you have developed breast cancer then you will have already increased your chances of managing the cancer and ultimately beating the cancer. Like many other cancers, breast cancer often begins with a small lump on the breast tissue. Treatment for this lump or tumor depends on whether or not the doctor determines if it is benign or malignant. If the lump is malignant then breast cancer is present in the tissue and the treatment will be aggressive. In order to deal with this type of cancer there are several treatment options available. The treatment for breast cancer is very similar to that of other cancers.

Radiation Therapy- Some doctors and hospitals will provide breast cancer patients with the option for radiation treatment. Radiation therapy is designed to kill cancerous cells through use of radiation technology. There are side effects to radiation therapy and it may not be successful in every case or for every breast cancer patient.

Chemotherapy- Chemotherapy is a harsh but often effective treatment in the battle against cancer. Breast cancer patients are given rounds of chemotherapy to destroy the cancerous tumor or tumors. Chemotherapy also has negative side affects that include but are not limited to hair loss and vomiting. These drugs will cause harm to even the healthy parts of your body while they attempt to rid your body of cancerous cells.
Tumor Removal- To prevent cancer from spreading further and affecting other parts of the body, sometimes the treatment option will be to conduct surgery to remove the tumor. Depending on the stage of the cancer, size of the tumor and health of the patient, all or part of the breast may be removed during this surgery.
Hormonal Therapy-This treatment is an alternative to those listed above. With this treatment, hormones are used to manipulate cell growth to induce growth of healthy breast cells and healthy breast tissue.

Biological Therapy-Another form of alternative treatment that is relatively new is Biological therapy. These drugs also work to deplete cancer cells but they try to predict what the cancer cells will do and prevent them from growing back.
Treatment for breast cancer is case based. Doctors will often recommend a variety of these treatments to their patients. When combining these treatment options, doctors are able to offer the best medical course of treatment for their patients, in order for them to get healthy. As always prevention and proactive behavior is a good idea. If breast cancer runs in your family, your chances are higher to get it, so have a doctor routinely examine you. Going for routine checkups and examines will also increase the chances of discovering cancer right away, which will help with the treatment plan, making it more effective.