| Progress in fighting cancers has been enormous over the past couple decades. But there are challenges when developing new therapies. It should be noted that "cancer" is not one thing. The term covers a range of different "diseases". Treatments, like "chemo" are also very varied. For starters the current treatments (chemo, radiation, surgery) (and soon immunotherapy when the patents expire) are very effective against a range of different cancers. The most common ones (prostate and breast) have survival rates exceeding 90% if caught early. For all cancers treating early is a good thing. So any novel approach has to be "compatible" with existing treatments. Bacterial experiments (on sick humans) for example are not compatible with chemo. To suggest a patient not take chemo is ethically hard. So yes, there us a cohort like your father who are effectively post-treatment. The cancer is advanced and may have morphed into multiple different cancers. There is naturally an inclination to "try anything". Unfortunately these patients make terrible case studies. They are typically very weakened, with multiple organs under attack, and the immune system generally low. So, layman's example, introducing a bacteria into such a person may kill the cancer, but would likely also kill the patient. Remember that every "fail" is recorded against that drug or method. Having all your patients die tends to reflect poorly on a drug, even if those patients were already terminal. And, to be honest, if they're already terminal the chance of a new therapy working is pretty low. I sympathize with you, I really do. I know this is not an easy time. There is of course a desire to try anything. For others reading, early detection is key. Visiting a Dr at the first stage of trouble is something we all can get better at. |