Possible, but difficult.

The chem-therapy targets the fast division of cancer cells, with a strong side-effect because any dividing cells will be targeted by this therapy, therefore, weaken the patients.

There are many characteristics for cancer cells, such as its never-stopping division capabilities. If scientists find a way to stop this, ( many targets telomerase, angiogenesis...), it may works, though side effect again.

However, as you pointed out, that each cancer could be different gene mutations. If scientist find a way to stop each pathway (each gene mutation-related), then, someday, we can cure cancer. By that time, we only need to diagnose the gene mutations on each patient, and find the suitable drug ( or drug combination) for each individual patient.

A lot of folks do not see the progress because they don;t know the field. Look back 50 years, how much has been achieved? Let's take the breast cancer. Each stem cells have many signal transduction pathways for cell growth. Once the cells in our body develop and differentiate, only a few pathways exist. Therefore, in breast cancer, 2/3 of patients share mutations in the common pathway--we call it estrogen receptor positive breast cancer cells. For this, there is a good way to kill the cancer cells, as you may know--tamoxifen. Then, for the rest 1/3, if it is HER-positive, there is drug available now. The treatment for HER-positive, is not as effective as ER-positive patients yet. The rest, we call triple-negative, almost no treatment yet. So for breast cancer patients, at this stage, a gene level's diagnosis pretty much tells the fate of patients.

Sure, with a few hundred genes related to cell growth, scientists have not been able to find ways to treat each mutations. That's why research is needed. With such a complicated system, can we expected one generation of scientists find a way to cure all cancers?

But, there is hope.

所有跟帖： 

• 假如医学可以调控任何细胞的表达，某种程度上人可以做到长生不老。 -trendspike- ♂ (234 bytes) () 07/25/2010 postreply 14:41:26

• 过分长生不老是逆天行道-同试管婴儿一样,我不赞成。 -脊梁硬- ♂ (0 bytes) () 07/25/2010 postreply 14:48:47

• 错。 -trendspike- ♂ (116 bytes) () 07/25/2010 postreply 15:09:39