A cancer diagnosis can have a significant impact on a person’s life. Not only can it affect their physical health, but it can also impact them mentally. It can leave them feeling depressed, anxious, and distressed.
Thankfully, most cancers are treatable, meaning the majority of people will be able to return to their everyday lives once treatment is over. However, a few forms of cancer still cannot be treated, including cancers that weren’t spotted early.
Because of this, scientists and researchers are continually looking for ways to treat and cure this horrible disease. Their aim is to reduce the number of people dying. Here are some of the recent breakthroughs in the fight against cancer:
1. Xenograft Studies
Over the last few years, xenograft studies have been introduced. The term xenograft refers to an organ or tissue that is derived from a species that is different from the recipient of the specimen. Xenograft studies are a powerful research tool in the fight against cancer. They are used to develop personalized treatment plans for cancer patients.
To develop a personalized treatment plan for a cancer patient, doctors remove a small tumor segment before grafting it into an SRG Rat or a mouse that has been humanized or is immunodeficient. Once the tumor has been grafted, doctors and scientists will grow the tumor before trying out different therapies to see which ones work best. This helps them to decide which treatment to offer their patients.
2. New Clues About the Causes of Cancer
A study of over 12,000 patients at a university in England has discovered new clues in the causes of cancer. The scientists at Cambridge University state that by analyzing genomic data, an oncologist can identify the different mutations that have caused a person’s cancer, such as internal malfunctions in cells, smoking, or exposure to UV light.
3. Artificial Intelligence to Predict Likelihood of Lung Cancer
Lung cancer kills more people in America yearly than the following top three deadliest cancers combined. One main reason for this is because lung cancer is notoriously difficult to detect early. However, an artificial intelligence learning model has been created which aims to predict a person’s likelihood of developing this type of cancer up to six years in advance via a CT scan.
4. Artificial Intelligence to Transform Cancer Care
In countries like India, doctors and scientists use emerging technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence to transform cancer care. One example is using AI technology to analyze x-rays for cancers that imaging experts cannot spot. Another example is AI-based risk profiling. This preventative care is used to screen for common cancers, such as breast cancer, leading to early diagnosis.
Thousands of people are diagnosed with cancer yearly in the U.S. While some treatment options are already available, not all cancers can be cured. So, we must continually look for new ways to treat cancer. Over the last few years, we have seen several breakthroughs in cancer treatment, including the ones we’ve listed above.