• Question: Will we ever kill cancer?

    Asked by Andrea Echeverria to LauraAnne, Katy, Helen, Dan on 17 Nov 2016. This question was also asked by Raquel Sabaté.
    • Photo: LauraAnne Furlong

      LauraAnne Furlong answered on 17 Nov 2016:

      There are lots of researchers around the world working in this area to identify what makes someone more likely to have cancer, what the best way to treat cancer is, and how to keep it away long-term. Even in the past few years, we have seen huge advancement in our understanding of cancer, and scientists have even developed a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. Scientists have the potential to have a real influence on eradicating disease: in the 1800s, it is thought that TB was responsible for about one third of all deaths in the UK, yet in 2012 this number was 282 across the whole country. This is huge progress, so I hope in the not too distant future we will continue to find ways to cure and eliminate cancer as well.

    • Photo: Katy Griggs

      Katy Griggs answered on 17 Nov 2016:

      A huge amount of research is being conducted to find a treatment for many types of cancer and who may be more susceptible to certain types. A huge amount of development has already happened over the last few decades, increasing survival rates. In fact without the development in treatment i would have never meet my husband (who is also a Scientist), who was diagnosed with a rare cancer at the age of 16. Despite a low chance of survival, development in drugs and treatment meant he was able to fight off the disease. So i am confident that development will continue as long as research continues to be funded in the area.

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