Billions of pounds have been raised, invested and spent on cancer research over many decades, but we still haven’t cured cancer. We asked our experts to explain why that is, why we still urgently need to fund more cancer research – but also how every project looking to uncover a new cure for cancer can offer hope for the future.
As a researcher and doctor who has seen first-hand the lifesaving potential of new targeted therapies for cancer, my opinion is that we are far from helpless in the face of cancer. While individual cancer diagnoses remain one of the scariest conversations people can have with their doctor; it is worth stepping back to look at the bigger picture. Over the last 40 years, research has made astonishing progress and survival rates for many cancers have increased dramatically over the last decades.
It's important to remember that we have come a long way - overall, cancer survival in the UK has doubled since the 1970s. But cancer is a complex disease - and the fact is that we won't ever find one single cancer cure.
Cancer is not just one disease
Instead, it’s an umbrella term for more than 200 distinct diseases – that’s why we fund research into any type of cancer. Each of these broad cancer types has many sub-types, and they all look and behave differently because they are different on a genetic and molecular level. This is because cancer arises from our own cells, so each cancer can be as different and diverse as people are.
Myriads of mutations exist
Underlying all of these different cancers are a myriad of different genetic mutations. Every cancer is caused by a different set of mutations and as the tumour grows, more and more mutations accumulate. This means that every tumour has an individual set of mutations, so a drug that works for one cancer patient, might have absolutely no effect on another. That’s why we fund researchers like Dr Diego Pasini in Italy, whose research project aims to understand why a particular mutation makes some cancers more likely to develop.
Why is cancer so difficult to cure?
Cancer cells within a single tumour are not identical
Not every cancer cell in a tumour will have the same genetic mutations as a neighbouring cancer cell. That means that treatments can often kill one type of cell in a tumour, while others survive the treatment, allowing the tumour to grow again.
Treatments can eventually stop working
The genetic mutations that cancer cells acquire over time mean that the cells change the way they behave. This can be an incredibly difficult problem during treatment because the mutations can lead to cancer cells developing resistance to a treatment over time, making it ineffective.
If that happens, the patient will then have to be put on to a different treatment – but again, the cancer could develop resistance to the new drug. To try to combat this, we fund researchers like Dr Maite Huarte, who is trying to figure out how to overcome this resistance.
Cancer cells are really good at staying alive
Normal cells have certain mechanisms in place that stop them from growing or dividing too much. Cancer cells have lost these control mechanisms and can develop an arsenal of tricks to avoid being killed.
That’s why we fund researchers like Dr Vincenzo Giambra, who aims to understand how cancer cells become such survival experts.
Will cancer ever be cured?
It is unlikely that there will ever be one magic bullet created that can cure all cancers, for the reasons outlined above. However, we do believe that research like ours can help us reach a day when no life is cut short by cancer - a day when people affected by cancer and their families no longer have to fear losing time, or a life that should have been.
But we simply cannot continue to fund more vital discovery research without the support of Curestarters like you. Will you join our united effort today?
FAQs
Is there a cure for cancer?
Billions have already been spent on cancer research over many decades, so it is understandable that you might be questioning whether a cure for cancer may already exist. But we can categorically state that there is no universal or hidden cure for cancer. From cancer charities and researchers to pharmaceutical companies and doctors - we are all human, all affected by cancer, and we all have the same goal...to reach a day when no life is cut short by cancer. Read more here.
Which cancers are not curable?
Some cancers are easier to treat than others and have high survival rates meaning a lot of people reach the point where they no longer need treatment and their cancer is not expected to return.
Thanks to research, around 85% of women in the UK will survive breast cancer for 5 years or more after diagnosis. For pancreatic cancer the survival rate is a lot lower - only around 10% of people will survive for 5 years or more. This is partly because pancreatic cancer is very difficult to diagnose and often spreads, making it harder to cure.
Every cancer is different though and it behaves differently in everyone's bodies. The more we understand about cancer, the better we can stop it.
Can you cure cancer without treatment?
Cancer treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy, and the best option is decided based on the type and stage of cancer. If you, or someone you love, have received a cancer diagnosis then your oncologist is the best person to speak to about your treatment plan.
There is no scientific evidence that alternative therapies such as homeopathy can cure cancer. We recommend only following advice from your health provider or reputable organisations.
