Surgery that used to involve a large incision can now be accomplished through a small incision using a surgical probe that allows surgeons to see and remove cancerous tissue without the trauma of major surgery.
Radiation therapy has advanced as well. More sophisticated equipment and technology does less damage to the surrounding tissues. New discoveries and developments have brought about new and more effective medicines with less side effects. This and other advancements have been brought about by ongoing cancer research.
Cancer Research UK is one research organization based in the United Kingdom. It is one of the few independent organizations devoted to cancer research in the world. One of the goals of this organization and others like it is to gain a better understanding of the various types of cancer. By doing so they can then develop better medicines and treatments to fight cancer.
Only through a better understanding of cancer can advancements in these areas be made.
Research is the step by step process that is done by collecting and examining data on cancer. It almost always involves a quest for new information that can help to develop a new drug or treatment or hopefully some day an actual cure for cancer.
Research can involve the study of its basic biology to the effects of treatments. Another area of research involves the testing of drugs that have already been developed. Before a drug is made available to the public it must undergo years of testing to make sure it is safe and effective. Right now there are drugs undergoing testing that in years to come will be available for use but researchers must first determine their overall effect on the cancer patients who use them.
Most people don’t realize just how many different types of cancer there are, each with its different problems in treating it. So there has to be many different areas of research to develop treatments for them. Cancer Research UK supports over three-thousand researchers and the work they are doing.
The one true key to successful cancer research is money. One ongoing job for nonprofit cancer research organizations is raising the funds to support the work they are doing. Anyone can help cancer research by making a donation to any of the nonprofit cancer research centers. In this way you can do your part to help find better treatments and hopefully some day a cure for the disease.
Another way to help is to take part in a clinical trial of a new drug or treatment.
Another area of cancer research is focused on the relieving of the symptoms of the cancer. Until a cure is found people with cancer have to endure the symptoms of the disease. The first one that come so mind is pain but there are many others such as dietary and nutritional special problems cancer patients face.
Learning how to better keep cancer patients pain free, happy and healthy is another area of ongoing cancer research. There too many areas of cancer research to cover here but we have covered a few. Only through cancer research can progress be made in understanding its causes, how to prevent it and eventually a cure.
