Historical Milestones in the World of Cancer Research and Discovery

Hearing a doctor say the word cancer is something most people fear. For many cancer survivors, likePaul Kraus, who is the world's longest mesothelioma survivor, a cancer so deadly it usually kills within 5 years,  being diagnosed with this disease managed to change their life dramatically.

When diagnosed with cancer, the fight or flight response will usually kick in. Whether dealing with breast cancer or a mesothelioma variant, finding the right treatment is paramount. Over the past 250 years, there have been a number of advancements in the world of cancer treatments. These days, doctors and patients have a wide array of options available to them when it comes to attacking these disease and eradicating it from the human body. Here are just some of historical milestones in the world of cancer research and discovery.

Scientist Rudolf Virchow devoted his life to the study and treatment of cancer. In 1863, he discovered white blood cells or leukocytes in the cancerous tissue he was studying. This discovery was the first time that the connection between inflammation and cancer was made. After discovering these cells, Virchow coins the term “leukemia.” Since this discovered, doctors have used an increased number of white blood cells as a means of detecting cancer early. The key to effectively treating any type of cancer is by detecting and treating it early, which is why this discovery by Rudolph Virchow is so significant.

Paul Ehrlich was also very passionate about finding a way to kill cancerous cells in the body. He worked for a number of years developing the immune surveillance hypothesis. This hypothesis was based on research Ehrlich performed by treating cancerous by boosting the body’s immune system. His theory was that when properly boosted, the body’s immune system would be able to kill off cancer. This hypothesis has prompted research that continues to this day. Many scientists from around the world are feverishly working on a method cancer cures that use the power of the body’s immune system and this is all thanks to the hypothesis that was developed by Paul Ehrlich over 100 years ago.

Breast cancer is one of the most common and potentially fatal forms of cancer in the world. For many years, cancer researchers have been looking for a way to treat this type of cancer. One of the biggest milestones in regards to breast cancer treatment came in 1978. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of a drug called Tamoxifen for the treatment of breast cancer. Originally, this drug was used as a birth control treatment. Scientists quickly realized that the estrogen receptor modulators contained within this drug helped to isolate and in some cases kill cancer cells. After a lot of debate and hard work, this drug was finally approved for use in cancer treatment by the FDA.

One of the biggest breakthroughs in the cancer treatment world came in the form of gene cloning and gene mutation. In 1995, scientists starting working on gene mutation to combat the formation and growth of cancerous tumors. The BRCA1 and BRCA2 trials served to provide researchers with a variety of information regarding how these mutated genes lead to higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

In 2010, the Food and Drug administration (FDA) approves a vaccine referred to as Sipuleucel-T. This vaccine is designed to boost a patient’s immune cells to help combat prostate cancer. Doctors prescribe this vaccine to patients that are no longer getting results from hormone therapy in relation to the treatment of prostate cancer. This is the first and only vaccine that has been approved for the treatment of cancer. Since this vaccine has been approved, it has had a lot of success.

The world of cancer research and discovery is ever changing. Scientists are hard at work to find the causes and cures for the various types of cancers out there. Only time will tell how successful these scientists are, but one thing is for sure, cancer research has come a long way.