From: Terry W. Colvin (fortean1@mindspring.com)
Date: Mon Jun 09 2003 - 23:01:12 MDT
On Friday 30 May 2003 02:06 pm, Terry W. Colvin forwarded:
> > I can't think of a more worthy Extropian goal than by increasing the
> > average human lifespan by eliminating Cancer!
This pings something that I wind up thinking about most mornings on the way to
work.
UT Medical Center in Knoxville and the UT Health Science Center in Memphis are
going in partnership with a Tennessee oncology practice to found the UT
Cancer Institute (opening in Knoxville this Sunday; a new building is being
constructed for the UTCI in Memphis not very far from where I work at the
College of Pharmacy. Apparently, from a number of billboards in the Memphis
area and TV spots on area broadcast stations, the UT Cancer Institute has
adopted the motto "One goal: eradication."
Perhaps I'm misinformed, but my understanding of carcinogenesis leads me to
believe that eradication/elimination of cancer is well nigh impossible;
apparently there are a lot of things that can cause cancer, and some of them
(like normal background radiation) seem to be with us always. Is eradication
of cancer really a reasonable goal?
I'm not minimizing the importance of cancer research here; the search for
cures is important. Even if cancer can't be eliminated, a world where cancers
are easily cured and not as deadly as they are now is still a laudable goal
to work for.
Best,
Len Cleavelin
---------------------
You've got it right, eradication meaning easy and effective treatment,
elimination of it as a major cause of death, and not the plain meaning.
Do for cancer what medicine has done for tooth decay. Although, this may
be optimistic--new cancer incidence rises, perhaps exponentially, with
increasing age. But if your first dozen or two cancers are cured, you
live long enough to die of something else.
Most cancers are suppressed by the immune system, and stepping up immune
surveillance through 'cancer immunization' or something as yet unthought
of could eliminate most cancer. But that's optimistic.
Jim Lund
------------------------
I'd say *very* optimistic. Some of us believe (on pretty good evidence)
that a base-minimum of neoplasia is a "cost of living". The "life
style" stuff (environmentally-related) can be reduced almost certainly.
The rest, well...
WD "Bill" Loughman - Berkeley, California USA
-- Terry W. Colvin, Sierra Vista, Arizona (USA) < fortean1@mindspring.com > Alternate: < fortean1@msn.com > Home Page: < http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Stargate/8958/index.html > Sites: * Fortean Times * Mystic's Haven * TLCB * U.S. Message Text Formatting (USMTF) Program ------------ Member: Thailand-Laos-Cambodia Brotherhood (TLCB) Mailing List TLCB Web Site: < http://www.tlc-brotherhood.org >[Vietnam veterans, Allies, CIA/NSA, and "steenkeen" contractors are welcome.]
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