Cancer research remains one of the most important factors regarding cancer understanding. Cancer research has been responsible for the development of modern medicine used to fight the deadly disease and has saved many lives in the process. It is the reason why advanced surgery procedures, chemotherapy drugs, and radiation therapy have been helping cancer patients live longer for decades. It is also responsible for the development of innovative new cancer treatments, such as targeted therapy, in development and may one day save even more lives then ever thought possible a few years ago.

Cancer Research Organizations

One of the most powerful tools in use to find a cure for cancer is the efforts of cancer research organizations, which help to fund cancer research and provide hope for millions of people. Charitable organizations like American Association for Cancer Research, Cancer Research Institute, Center for Cancer Research, Cancer Research Foundation, Cancer Research UK, and Gateway for Cancer Research have been at the forefront of cancer research in the United States for many years and continue to be more productive than ever. The fundamental goal of these organizations is to develop more useful methods of prevention, control and treatment of all types of cancer. The primary majority of the funding for cancer research comes from the efforts of these organizations.

Clinical Trials

A clinical trial is an experimental study program designed to test new drugs, treatment methods, diagnosis methods, and other forms of practiced medicine on a group of voluntary patients. Cancer research relies heavily on clinical trials and their ability to advance for cancer medical progression. Researchers hope that clinical trials will help advance cancer treatments until a cure is ultimately found. Clinical trials attempt to answer two fundamental questions for cancer treatment--(1) does the drug work against tumors and (2) is the treatment safe to use? Medications soon progress further through different phases of a clinical trial until it is finally approved for widespread use.

For a patient, clinical trials can be a great benefit, though there are potential risks that can put their lives in danger. He or she should carefully consider these notions and carefully balance the two. In most cases, patients who have an fairly untreatable form of advanced cancer would be more likely to enter a clinical trial to test out drugs that show promising results. Otherwise, a cancer patient should receive normal treatment because their chance of recovery is higher than a patient who has advanced cancer.

History of Cancer Research

In early civilizations, such as the Egyptians, it was accepted that the human body would sometimes go awry and develop cancer. When a person developed cancer, it was just a fact of life that would happen to many people. However, there were early techniques for treating the cancer, usually by heating the tumor to destroy the cancer cells. As human understanding of the body developed further, cancer research begin to pick up steam. The prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer began to make great strides in progress. In the Middle Ages, cancer research was aided by the development and practice of autopsies and dramatic advancements in medical research followed for years to come. At the dawn of the 19th century, new medical technologies such as anesthesia were developed, allowing for surgical procedures to develop at a rapid pace. Today, more advanced forms of diagnosis and surgery have been developed, which are safe and non-invasive, allowing patients to recover faster and raising survival rates.

Goals of Cancer Research

There are many organizations that dedicate their time and efforts for several areas of cancer research, but the basic goal remains the same--to find a cure for the horrifying and life altering disease. This is done through research of the causes, control and treatment of cancer through many sciences, including biology, chemistry, and genetics. New technology has also aided cancer research. For example, MRI tests have given an unparalleled look into the internal structure of the human body without any invasive or potentially dangerous techniques such as surgery or CT scans. Cancer research is typically divided into three main fields of study: causes of cancer, cancer treatment, and prevention of cancer.