How targeting a cancer ‘cell of origin’ could revolutionise treatment
By focusing on stem cells cancer could be managed like a chronic disease, say researchers
Cancer remains a frightening and largely incurable disease.
The toxic side effects of chemotherapy and radiation make the cure often seem as bad as the ailment, and there is also the threat of recurrence and tumour spread.
Cancer treatment still follows a practically medieval method of cut, burn or poison. If the growth can’t be cut out through surgery, it may be burnt away with radiation or poisoned by chemotherapy.
As a result, cancer therapy remains a daunting diagnosis for patients and treatment options seem limited for a disease which causes one in six deaths globally.
