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Cameron Peterson
Bio 1010-008
Are We Winning the “War on Cancer”?
In 1971 President Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act saying, “I hope that in
the years ahead that we may look back on this day and this action as being the most significant
action taken during this Administration” (Nixon, 1971). What President Nixon did in signing this
act was appropriate large amounts of government funds to cancer research, create a
centralized organization to collaborate those efforts into one. In the years since that
legislation, we have made strides toward curing cancer, but whether we are winning or not is
debatable.
First, what is cancer? According to Concepts of Biology, by Sylia S. Mader, cancer is the
uncontrolled division of cells. During cell division there are several checkpoints that help
ensure that the daughter cells have all of the necessary components to function properly. If
something has gone wrong during the process, such as the lack of a certain chromosome that
cell will perform apoptosis or an automated cell death. However, this does not always happen
properly, and mutation (DNA change) may develop that can allow cells to pass these
checkpoints. Mutations also develop as a result of different environmental factors. These
factors include prolonged exposure to the sun, or diet. As cancer cells divide uncontrollably,
they begin to form tumors.
When the tumor gets to about the size of a pea it needs oxygen and other nutrients
that come from blood vessels to continue growing. The cells in the center of the tumor have
lower oxygen content and will turn on genes that inform the cells to secret enzymes that
stimulate the growth of new blood vessels. Angiogenesis is the process of forming new blood
vessels, and allows the tumor to grow without limit. A tumor at this point runs the threat of
metastasizing. This occurs when cells from the main tumor splinter off into surrounding tissues.
These cells have about a 1/1000 chance of successfully creating new tumors, and spreading the
cancer throughout the body.
This raises the question. What can be done to counteract and cure cancer? Before
signing the National Cancer Act of 1971, President Richard Nixon stated, “When we consider
what cancer does each year in the United States, we find that more people each year die of
cancer in the United States than all the
Americans who lost their lives in World War II.
This shows us what is at stake. It tells us why I
sent a message to the Congress the first of this
year, which provided for a national commitment
for the conquest of cancer, to attempt to find a
President Nixon signs the National Cancer Act Dec
23, 1971 (Lindholm, 2011).
cure… we have set up a procedure for the purpose of making a total national commitment”
(Nixon, 1971).
In the years since President Nixon’s declaration, many processes have been developed,
but some are more effective than others. The most common of these include surgery,
chemotherapy, and radiation. For solid tumors surgical techniques have been developed to
target tumors specifically in an effort to remove affected cells. Chemotherapy uses cytotoxic
drugs to reduce rapid growth of cells. Side effects usually include hair loss, immunosuppression,
and reduced blood production. Because these cells grow naturally grow rapidly that may be
damaged as well. Radiation specifically targets affected areas
with radiation in an effort to kill cancer cells while minimizing
the damage to healthy tissue. Since the National Cancer Act
was signed these three processes have been the greatest
breakthroughs in treating cancer. They are commonly used in
This is an example the machine used for
radiation therapy. (2010)
conjunction with each other to provide the best probability of
success. ("Types of treatment,")
Dr. Andrew Von Eschenbach, director of the National Cancer Institute, said this of the
progress we have made in the years following the Cancer Act of 1971.
Our strategy was a seek-and-destroy strategy-find it and kill it. Find it as early as you
can and kill it as effectively as you can, using what is available in surgery, radiation, and
chemotherapy. That journey has resulted in progress. Certain cancers are now
remarkable in terms of a successful outcome-testicular cancer and childhood leukemia,
for example. Today, we consider it a major breakthrough if we have a chemotherapy
strategy for advanced pancreatic cancer that has a 60 percent complete response rate.
Unfortunately, that means that 40 percent of patients are paying the full price of care
and obtaining no benefit. We are just beginning to know which cases fall into which
category. (von Eschenbach, 2005)
Remarking on the current developments, Dr. Eschenbach stated that as genetic
mutations that can lead to cancer begin to be understood, more personalized treatments, and
treatment plans may be used. He continued by saying, “We will not only use targeted,
mechanistic-based therapeutic strategies, but technologies are also enabling us to see the
impact of our intervention on patients in real time.” Another important development he
discusses is the innovations in imagery technology will allow the timetable for treatment to be
greatly increased. Illustrating this he said, “We no longer have to wait three to six months to
see if a therapy is working by observing whether the tumor has shrunk. For example, in
gastrointestinal cancer, applying the new drug Gleevec, which is targeted for a particular
pathway in that tumor, you can use radioactive imaging agents to see in twenty-four to fortyeight hours whether you have altered or changed the biochemistry of that tumor and thus
know whether you are achieving the desired therapeutic effect.” (von Eschenbach, 2005)
As treatments techniques and technology improve, the phrase “you have cancer” will
cease to be death sentence, and become a disease that is manageable. Much of what was
learned after 1971 was that cancer is a much more broad condition that what was originally
thought; with no two types being exactly alike. As treatments become much more
personalized, the chances of survival will no longer be a guessing game. Although we are
starting to see large improvements in this field, there is still much to be done, and we will not
have to wait long before that starts to become a reality.
Bibliography
Lindholm, J. (Photographer). (2011). Retrieved from
http://www.vpr.net/episode/52659/40-years-after-national-cancer-act/
Mader, S. S. (2011). Concept of biology . (2nd ed., pp. 152-154). McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc.
Nixon, R. (1971, December 23) Remarks on Signing the National Cancer Act of 1971.
Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. Retrieved from
Types of treatment. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/treatment/types-of-treatment
Types of treatment. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/treatment/types-of-treatment
von Eschenbach, A. (2005, September). Eliminating the suffering and death due cancer
by 2015. Retrieved from http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/mpb_01.htm
(2010). Retrieved from
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/radiation