Why is cancer so hard to treat?
When dealing with cancer, it’s easy to wonder why it’s so hard to treat. After all, scientists and doctors have been treating it for quite a while now! This article talks about why cancer is so hard to treat.
Cancer results from the unchecked growth of cells caused by DNA mutations. While these abnormal cancer cells function differently than most normal cells by growing and dividing rapidly, they are genetically very similar to normal cells. This makes treating cancer difficult because it is hard to target the cancerous cells without also affecting the normal cells.[1] For example, chemotherapy specifically targets rapidly dividing cells. However, normal cells that also divide quickly such as blood cells, hair cells, and mucous cells in the mouth, throat, and digestive system are also damaged by chemotherapy which leads to side effects.[2]
Another thing complicating the treatment of cancer is that cancerous tumors often continue to accumulate mutations. This means that the tumor may end up containing many genetically different cells. Natural selection refers to the fact that an individual who develops an advantageous mutation will be more likely to survive and pass on these genetics to their children. This idea, when applied to tumors, explains how if any type of cell in the tumor allows it to resist a cancer drug, that cell can take over and lead to a chemotherapy-resistant cancer. New drugs are being developed that can target specific mutations; this could allow all mutations present in a tumor to be targeted and hopefully stop chemotherapy-resistance. Since there are so many different types of cancer[MB1] , treatment strategies need to be individualized. Therefore, it is incredibly unlikely that a cure for all cancer could be discovered.[1]
[MB1]Link to ‘types of cancer’ article
References
1. Why is cancer so hard to treat? https://biologicallyactive.co.uk/2015/10/16/why-is-cancer-so-hard-to-treat/#:~:text=If%20you%20take%20a%20step%20back%20and%20think,to%20target%2C%20different%20enough%20to%20drive%20the%20disease. (accessed Jun 11, 2021).
2. Chemotherapy Side Effects https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/treatment-types/chemotherapy/chemotherapy-side-effects.html (accessed May 13, 2021).