Inverness, Scotland, 1999
As part of my “Cancer Cures in the News” series I’m going to refer you to an article in “Stanford”, a publication of the Stanford Alumni Association, March/April 2012 edition. Most of you are lucky enough not to get this slick, slightly snooty publication, so if you want a copy of this article I will make one and send it to you; just ask. Normally I never read it, although I have been getting it now for over 50 years (without ever once joining the alumni association.) I think they are hoping I will leave them (Stanford) some money. They will be disappointed.
The article details efforts to use certain characteristics of solid cancers to throttle them. It appears that some solid cancers grow so fast that they outstrip their oxygen supply; that is, they become “hypoxic”. To continue to grow, the cancer cells (the article mentions prostate, liver and ovarian cancers) must resort to a source of energy other than the usual one, which depends on an adequate supply of oxygen. This alternate energy source is called “glycolysis”, and involves the rapid breaking down of complex sugar molecules. As you might expect, from here the story becomes progressively more obscured in biochemical murk and gloom, and it would be better for you to follow it yourself. However, overall this article is readable and gives you a fair peak at how this aspect of cancer research is conducted. It also is moderately upbeat. Moderately.
This article, by Kristin Sainani, also gives you some idea of how expensive this sort of research must be. Even the mice they use (yes, our friend, the mouse) are sometimes genetically engineered to facilitate specific studies. An eventual cure is sure to be costly, so be prepared to advocate for cancer research funding whenever you can. I’m afraid the days of making fundamental, breakthrough scientific progress by sitting under a tree, thinking, and being hit on the head by a falling apple are long gone.
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