Cancer affects many people in the EU. Therapeutic advances mean that people with many different types of cancer now live longer and have a better quality of life. And research continues; pharmaceutical companies are investigating new medicines and novel therapies, such as gene therapy to reduce the toll of cancer on patients and families.
Disease: Cancer
Last update: June 2008
Intro
FAQ: What does the future hold?
A great deal of effort is being put into researching anti-cancer medicines, with the aims of treating more cancers, improving effectiveness and reducing side effects. New compounds are being developed for a range of different cancers. Gene therapy and therapies that stimulate the immune system are also being investigated.
Increased understanding of the biology of cancer cells is leading to some very sophisticated approaches. For example, research is underway into the use of a virus to introduce a gene into a cancer cell. The job of this gene is to turn an inactive self-destruct agent into its active form. The virus only infects cancer cells, not normal cells, so only the cancer cell is killed. Other research is investigating compounds that stop tumours developing the blood supply they need in order to grow.
Increased understanding of the biology of cancer cells is leading to some very sophisticated approaches. For example, research is underway into the use of a virus to introduce a gene into a cancer cell. The job of this gene is to turn an inactive self-destruct agent into its active form. The virus only infects cancer cells, not normal cells, so only the cancer cell is killed. Other research is investigating compounds that stop tumours developing the blood supply they need in order to grow.