For various reasons I’ve been giving some thought to the problem of cancer recently. I seem to hear about it more and more these days.

In particular I think we are going about fighting cancer in the wrong way. Billions of Pounds are spent on cancer research. I believe that this money is being wasted. Instead of looking for a cure we should fight cancer by surgery.

Cancer is insidious, it can lie dormant for years within you, and then all of a sudden it attacks you. Even when you think you’ve got rid of all of it will spread and reappear in a totally different and unexpected place. For every one cancerous cell you destroy two will be created.

Let’s forget about chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the only way to get rid of the cancer is to cut it out. Cut it out wherever we find it. And if you get metastases. Cut it out there too. And if normal cells are destroyed by the surgery that’s just tough. These things happen in the war on cancer.

Why do we need to know the root causes of cancer? I for one don’t give a shit about why it happens! I don’t want my tax money being spent on education about cancer prevention or on research into treatment. Cancer kills millions – that’s all I need to know. I just want to get rid of it because there is too much of it about for my liking.

I’m just a Black and White kind of guy. There is no grey, there is only one way – and it’s my way or the highway!

[ 12-02-2002, 09:56 AM: Message edited by: Donut ]

Well put. You have a knack for presenting a well thought out arguement.

I disagree vehemently, but hey, that's life.

Subtitles and only the hint of a fishing rod. Are you mellowing?

Nice post Donut ;)

No fishing rod. I'm just depressed about recent news. It can't be won.

Well surgery is a standard practise sometimes when dealing with cancers Donut. BUT surgery alone DO NOT cure cancer! Picture yourself a scalpell, the blade is fully visible to a human eye (thickness in mm) but a cell is about 7-20 micrometers! It is not possible to fully remove a cancerous growth with suregery. That´s why chemotherapy and radiotherapy is a more efficient treatment. Even burning with laser is too imprecise. If all cancer patients were treated with surgery alone a mere minimum of the patients would be cured since cancerous cells would remain in the body. That´s why research still is needed. If we can understand how, almost there, and why cancers appear we might find a safer and better way to treat it. [img]smile.gif[/img]

LOL,*tongue firmly in cheek* Donut, I can tell you that there are a lot of surgeons that disagree with you. For example, chemotherapy and radiation are often necessary to precede successful surgery, sometimes they can take its place or be an alternative method(s). Sometimes, however, surgery is the only way to deal with a problem, and honest oncologists and radiologists will be the first to tell you that their methodologies are helpless in the presence of severe, life threatening malignancies. We call these "9-11" malignancies, dunno why. ;)

Thank you Willow. So what you are saying is that as well as treating different types of cancers differently we will not win the war on cancer unless we eventually address the root causes. Even though this may be unpalatable to some?

Not sure if I should really reply in here. Yes, the topic caught my eye because of a family member having brain cancer, but I won't argue about treatments.

So, Doctor Donut, what is your prognosis on someone who has Grade IV Anaplastic Glioblastoma, has had two different surgeries, 9 months of radiation treatment, and 3 months of Chemotherapy?

mmmm Attalus. I can see we're on the same wavelength here. I agree that sometimes radical surgery is the only way but what would your radical surgeons do if secondaries were appearing thoughout the patient's system? Surely the only possible treatment would be by developing a 'silver bullet' which would cure the cancer?

These silver bullets are not often found lying about. They need to be developed by understanding the causes of cancer. Even if a cure can be found for the patient it may be necessary for him to alter his lifestyle even though this may be anathema to him.

And I seem to be arguing against my original post!