Technology Quarterly: Targeting Tumours

Is there reason for optimism when it comes to cancer?

In some developed countries, nearly half the population will receive a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. At the same time as the prevalence of cancer increases, more people survive. Innovative research, detection, and therapeutic strategies all give reason for optimism. In fact, treatments based on genetics and immunotherapy – a brand new approach that co-opts the body’s immune system to fight the disease – have had unprecedented success. Despite this good news, the poor, especially people living in the developing world, often lack access to basic treatment. Plus, some simple preventive measures – such as the human papilloma virus vaccine, which prevents cervical cancer – are not even fully in place in the United States.

What is the next for cancer diagnosis?

Cancer develops when the mechanisms that repair DNA in our bodies no longer outpace the amount of DNA damage that humans naturally sustain over a lifetime and the genes that stop cells from dividing or growing are too damaged to function. It can happen to anyone: Diane Milley, a Massachusetts school teacher, was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer...