Cancer research

Overview
Cancer research is research into cancer in order to identify causes and develop strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatments and cure.

Cancer research ranges from epidemiology, molecular bioscience (bench research) to the performance of clinical trials to evaluate and compare applications of the various cancer treatment. These applications include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy, and combined treatment modalities such as chemo-radiotherapy. Starting in the mid-1990s, the emphasis in clinical cancer research shifted towards therapies derived from biotechnology research, such as immunotherapy and gene therapy.

Cause
This type of research involves many different disciplines including genetics, diet, environmental factors (ie chemical carcinogens).

Genes involved in cancer
As the Cancer Genome Project stated in a 2004 review article, "a central aim of cancer research has been to identify the mutated genes that are causally implicated in oncogenesis (cancer genes)."

Several hereditary factors can increase the chance of cancer-causing mutations, including the activation of oncogenes or the inhibition of tumor suppressor genes. The functions of various onco- and tumor suppressor genes can be disrupted at different stages of tumor progression. Mutations in such genes can be used to classify the malignancy of a tumor.

In later stages, tumors can develop a resistance to cancer treatment. The identification of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes is important to understand tumor progression and treatment success.

Genes and protein products that have been identified by at least two independent publications as being involved in cancer are: ABI1, ABL2, ACSL6, AF1Q, AF5Q31 (also known as MCEF), AKT1, ARNT, ASPSCR1, ATF1, ATIC, BCL10, BFHD, BIRC3, BMPR1A, BTG1, CBFA2T1, CBFA2T3, CBFB, CCND1, CDC2, CDK4, CHIC2, CHN1, COPEB, COX6C, CTNNB1, CYLD, DDB2, DDIT3, DEK, EIF4A2, EPS15, ERCC2, ERCC3, ERCC5, ERG, ETV4, ETV6, EWSR1, EXT1, EXT2, FANCC, FANCG, FGFR1OP, FGFR3, FH, FIP1L1, FUS, GAS7, GATA1, GMPS, GOLGA5, GPC, GPHN, HIST1H4I, HRAS, HSPCA, IL21R, IRF4, KRAS2, LASP1, LCP1, LHFP, LMO2, LYL1, MADH4, MLF1, MLH1, MLLT3, MLLT6, MNAT1, MSF, MSH2, MSN, MUTYH, MYC, NCOA4, NF2, NPM1, NRAS, PAX8, PCBD, PDGFB, PIM1, PLK2, PNUTL1, POU2F1, PPARG, PRCC, PRKACB, PRKAR1A, PTEN, PTPN11, RABEP1, RAD51L1, RAP1GDS1, RARA, RB1, RET, RHOH, RPL22, SBDS, SDHB, SEPTIN6, SET, SH3GL1, SS18L1, SSX1, SSX2, SSX4, STAT3, TAF15, TCF12, TCL1A, TFE3, TFEB, TFG, TFPT, TFRC, TNFRSF6, TP53, TPM3, TPM4, TRIP11, VHL, WAS, WT1, ZNF198, ZNF278, ZNF384, ZNFN1A1 Based on a study by M. R Straton and co-workers " A census of human cancer genes".

Treatment
Current topics of cancer treatment research include:
 * Chemotherapy
 * Radiation therapy
 * Boosting the immune system
 * Gene Therapy
 * Targeted therapy

Dichloroacetate
In January 2007 researchers of the University of Alberta reported preliminary results of dichloroacetate (DCA) causing regression in several cancers in vitro, including lung, breast and brain tumors. Since the compound DCA itself cannot be patented it could be an inexpensive alternative to other treatments, depending of course on whether the method of using DCA in the treatment of cancer is patentable. Clinical use of DCA will of course require further public/private investment for clinical trials. The initial research was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Prevention

 * Vaccines (see HPV Vaccine)
 * Recent research may indicate a connection between Vitamin D deficiency and cancer.

Funding
Some methods, like Dichloroacetate, cannot be patented and thus would not garner the investment interest towards research from the pharmaceutical industry.

Organizations

 * American Association for Cancer Research
 * Cancer Research UK
 * Cancer Research (journal)
 * Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center
 * Institute of Cancer Research
 * Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
 * [United Devices Cancer Research Project
 * NCI-designated Cancer Center
 * Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
 * E-Foundation for Cancer Research
 * Friends of Cancer Research
 * Walker Cancer Research Institute

Related chapters

 * Oncology

REsources

 * Cancer Genome Anatomy Project @ The NIH
 * CBC Digital Archives – Cancer Research: The Canadian Quest for a Cure
 * The Integrative Cancer Biology Program @ National Cancer Institute
 * Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center
 * Metabolic Targeting as an Anticancer Strategy: Dawn of a New Era? PDF of a scientific paper by researchers from the University of Toronto, Canada