Cancer has been at the center of medical research for a number of years. 70 years after Sidney Farber set out so find a cure for childhood leukemia, scientists and doctors know a lot more about cancer, but it is still one of the most elusive conditions for which there is no real cure.
Radiotherapy and surgery were the only real treatments for cancer, but for blood cancer and other cancers that were inoperable due to their position, the end result was tragic. Nevertheless, there have been some improvements and scientists are still working hard to find a cure. Here is a look at the development so far.
The early days
Cancer has been around for centuries and has been surgically treated from as early as the Greek and Roman empires. It was noted that even after surgically removing a tumor, the disease would make a return.
Surgical procedures were very primitive and there were many complications. Fatalities on the operating table were very common and it was often believed that not treating the cancer was better for a patient than trying to intervene.
Galen, a 2nd-century Greek doctor, viewed cancer as incurable. Seeing that he was the leading medical authority of the time, if a patient was diagnosed with cancer, it was terminal. Consequently, his views on cancer set the tone for cancer management for centuries.
The 20th century
Over the years, medication for treatment has improved dramatically, but many people still view cancer as incurable and put off going to the doctor. This diminishes the patient's chances of remission greatly.
Doctor William Halsted was one of the great surgeons and believed that proper local removal of cancer would cure it. He was the first to perform a radical mastectomy, but in the 1970s, the process was refined and it became less invasive.
The 21st century
With the leaps in surgical advances, together with a greater understanding of cancer and how it works, the late 20th century and 21st century saw the treatment of cancer become less radical and deforming.
Chemotherapy also played a great roll in treating cancer before it spread and contaminated more of the body. Even the diagnosis of cancer moved from exploratory surgery to doing ultrasound image testing, MRIs, CT scans and PET scans.
Natural remedies
Cannabis and cancer has also been explored for a number of years. Although the natural remedies won’t necessarily cure cancer, it could slow the spread of cancer down considerably.
Various research suggests that it could be used as a preventative drug. Other benefits of medicinal cannabis for people with cancer include antiemetic effects, appetite stimulation, pain relief and better sleep. Is should also be noted that physicians who do prescribe medical cannabis, do so for symptomatic relief and not for a cure necessarily.
On the other hand, chemotherapy can have other side effects like neuropathy and there is evidence that suggests that cannabis can be used to relieve the pain and symptoms of neuropathy. Nausea and vomiting is another side effect of chemo where cannabis is also used as a treatment.
The future
There are many scholars who believe that we are on the cusp of a medical breakthrough in terms of a cure for cancer. In recent years, the four treatments that have enjoyed ample research are personalized vaccines, cell therapy, gene editing and microbiome treatments.
The newest technologies aim at helping the immune system identify and attack the tumors. These technologies are known as immuno-oncology and will revolutionize the way cancer will be treated in the years to come.