FWD (SK) Re: Find-a-Drug computing project(s) [new subj]

From: Terry W. Colvin (fortean1@mindspring.com)
Date: Mon Jun 09 2003 - 23:01:12 MDT

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    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 >
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