(Advances in Cancer Research).
Even though no cure has been found, has the scientific community been successful in their search for the cure? The answer: yes, no matter how one gauges the progress. Some prefer a broad measure and include not only the stark statistics about life and death but also gains in scientific knowledge that may affect those statistics in the future. And some of the gains have been spectacular, according to the National Cancer Institute (Advances in Cancer Research). .
In a 1993 report, "Measures of Progress Against Cancer," the NCI cited such benchmarks as the revolution in understanding how cells grow and die; development of the astonishing ability to identify specific cancer genes; advances in the technology used to detect tumors; and improvements in the effectiveness of cancer treatments. These accomplishments, the report says, "would certainly not have occurred in the absence of the momentous efforts begun by the enactment of the National Cancer Act of 1971" (Advances in Cancer Research). In addition to contributing to a greater understanding of the fundamentals of cancer cells, the "war" on cancer has contributed to the advancements in the care of individuals with cancer, concerning new modes of treatment, and more effective treatment combinations. The undesirable side effects of therapy have also been decreased, and a reduction in surgery numbers has meant less pain, disfigurement, or possible loss of function for many cancer patients .
On the surface, the news about rising incidence rates is not good. But it may not be as bad as it seems. The aggregate figures overstate the actual increase in cancer because they mainly reflect better detection of particular cancers, and known causative factors like sun exposure and smoking. Still, some of the increases - for example in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and kidney, liver and testicular cancer - cannot be readily explained.