Cancer: The Final Frontier

Merkelcell.org Summary

This article describes the innovative treatment methods that are being introduced to fight cancer. This article references the work being done by the Nghiem Lab in treating MCC in new and innovative ways.

Overview

Condense, if you will, the 50,000 years of cancer’s recorded history in a time span of but a half-century. If it were 50 years old, human beings would know very little about its first 49 years, except that it killed men and women with the ease of a scythe slicing through wheat. About a year ago, mankind finally began to fight back, using the crude tool of surgery as a caveman would use a cudgel. Two months ago, humanity finally began to understand the nature of cancer and began to use radiation therapy. This week, humanity declared war on cancer. Yesterday, the modern cancer-fighting apparatus developed, spanning hospitals and academic research centers with cutting-edge research, imaging, and treatments. But now, as the clock strikes midnight, for the most part cancer is still the menace that it was, beyond the reach of humankind and mostly beyond the range of a cure.