Scientists crack 'entire genetic code' of cancer

[SVPete]

Scientists crack 'entire genetic code' of cancer
By Michelle Roberts
Health reporter, BBC News
12/16/09

Scientists have unlocked the entire genetic code of two of the most common cancers - skin and lung - a move they say could revolutionise cancer care.

Not only will the cancer maps pave the way for blood tests to spot tumours far earlier, they will also yield new drug targets, says the Wellcome Trust team.

Scientists around the globe are now working to catalogue all the genes that go wrong in many types of human cancer.

The UK is looking at breast cancer, Japan at liver and India at mouth.

China is studying stomach cancer, and the US is looking at cancers of the brain, ovary and pancreas.

This is cool stuff, with amazing potential. Dare I say it? The US is the one large, relatively open, marketplace where the development costs for such treatments can be recup'ed, so that countries like Canada and the UK can get the treatments on the cheap. If the ObamaCare abomination passes Congress, research like this will be much less likely to produce actual treatments.

[littlelamb]

Think about all the lives that are going to be saved that is just wonderful

[vesta111]

Think about all the lives that are going to be saved that is just wonderful

Sounds great on the face of it,  what could possibly go wrong.?????   

I question the word ENTIRE however when speaking of any kind of disease. --Not all Cancers are the same, some are environmentally caused, others pop up in family's with no history on either either of the family going back 5-6 generations.

The folks that spend 50-60 years of their lives breeding top quality animals be it horses, dogs, cats, sheep or cattle  can tell you they are at a loss when out of the blue one of their animals develop Cancer----they keep records for 15-20 or more generations and cannot explain why the offspring of a clear no Cancer history in family  develops this disease.

One must wonder if humans are genetically disposed to Cancer, why some forms of Cancer are unknown in parts of the world and common in others.

Then again I think of the Black Plague and the millions who were immune to that disease, why did they live when half the world was wiped out.?

Warning bells here, could this be another Al Gore type excuse to keep the research grants flowing.??

[djones520]

They need to step it up on the Colon Cancer.  I got about 20 years before I start facing that bullet.

[bkg]

The phrase "entire genetic code" will come back to haunt them.

[vesta111]

The phrase "entire genetic code" will come back to haunt them.

I will bet my life that the world governments are watching this very closely not as a life saving thing, but as how to use this research as a weapon.   

Any time any government puts money into0 any kind of research, the  bottom line is will this in any way help our military.

[bkg]

I will bet my life that the world governments are watching this very closely not as a life saving thing, but as how to use this research as a weapon.   

Any time any government puts money into0 any kind of research, the  bottom line is will this in any way help our military.

Don't agree with the second statement, especially in this administration. But the first, I do agree with.

But others (here) think that the gov't is the only mechanism to fund life-saving research, so now it's all a hypocritical catch-22

[thundley4]

Don't agree with the second statement, especially in this administration. But the first, I do agree with.

But others (here) think that the gov't is the only mechanism to fund life-saving research, so now it's all a hypocritical catch-22

I think profit is the best motive for research, but 0Bamacare might kill that so we'll be left with government funding. 

[bkg]

I think profit is the best motive for research, but 0Bamacare might kill that so we'll be left with government funding. 

I concur on both counts. We've villified profit (pharma, for example) and there are many people here who believe we'd have no research w/o gov't, which is other BS, IMHO.

[Chris_]

I concur on both counts. We've vilified profit (pharmacy, for example) and there are many people here who believe we'd have no research w/o govt, which is other BS, IMHO.

"Patriot Lady" will be incensed........its not "natural".......

doc