Can Cancer Be Cured? Improving Cancer Treatment Options Through Local Research - Indryas Woldie, MD

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May 31, 2021

 


Can cancer be cured?

Cancer is a complex and unique set of diseases that includes many different types and occur at varying levels of severity. Cancer also varies considerably between individuals. Therefore, it's unlikely one universal cure can be found to treat all cancers. Instead different forms of the disease require different types of treatments. For example, prostate cancer2 treatment can be extremely effective if the cancer is caught early and treated appropriately. In other instances, such as advanced stage pancreatic cancer3, treatment can control the disease and prolong life. And for certain types of cancer, such as lymphoma, treatment can be effective even in advanced stages. Advancements are also being made towards more personalized approaches to treatment. In consultation with a healthcare provider, the type of treatment a patient receives depends on many factors, including age, type and stage of cancer, and a patient's personal and medical history1. And the prognosis, which is the likely outcome or course of a disease6, will often depend on the type of cancer and treatment options that are available.

What is the role of research in advancing the treatment of cancer?

In recent years, incredible strides have been made in developing new treatment options for patients with cancer. Before these treatment options become widely available to patients, they are developed and tested through clinical research. Research enables the development of new and effective treatments, ultimately curing more forms of cancer and/or controlling the cancer as a chronic illness 4. For example, the female age-standardized mortality rate for breast cancer in Canada has decreased almost 50% over the last 30 years7 - from 42.7 deaths per 100,000 in 1986 to 22.4 deaths per 100,000 in 2019. This is largely due to advancements in early screening and treatment, which are developed through research7. In short, research saves lives!

Is this type of clinical research happening in Windsor-Essex?

There are many clinical cancer research studies occurring in Windsor-Essex. One example of clinical research that can bring new hope to patients is the "Establishing a Multiple Myeloma Drug Screening Platform to Predict Patient Response to Therapy" study. This research is a collaboration between our Windsor Regional Cancer Program, and Dr. John Hudson and Dr. Lisa Porter from the University of Windsor. The goal of this study is to establish a zebrafish model for multiple myeloma that can be used to test the sensitivity of cancer cells to different therapeutic agents. We hope this study will lead to the development of more individualized therapy for patients who don't response well to standard treatment, and provide an effective way to test newer therapeutic agents.

How is this research being funded?

This research study is funded by the Seeds4Hope program through the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation. The Seeds4Hope grant awards program provides funding to local cancer research teams in our community5. Since 2009, the Seeds4Hope program has awarded over $2 million in funding to local cancer research.

Further Reading:

Education4Cures - Hidden Secret Cure for Cancer by Tiana Visconti (Video)

Canadian Cancer Society - Cancer Research

WE-SPARK Health Institute - Cancer Resources

About the Expert:

Dr. Indryas Woldie, MD is a Hematologist Oncologist at Windsor Regional Hospital. He graduated from medical school at Jimma University, School of Medicine (Jimma, Ethiopia), then completed his internal medicine residency at Wayne State University (Detroit, MI) and fellowship in Hemtaology Oncology at Karmanos Cancer Institute (Detroit, MI). Dr. Woldie is an Adjunct Clinical Professor in the Biomedical Sciences at the University of Windsor and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Oncology, Division of Hematology-Oncology at Wayne State University. He also serves as an executive member of the Windsor Cancer Research Group, a program of the WE-SPARK Health Institute.

References:

  1. Canadian Cancer Society - Treatment
  2. John Hopkins Medicine - Prostate Cancer Prognosis
  3. Mayo Clinic - Pancreatic Cancer 
  4. Canadian Cancer Society - Clinical Research
  5. Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation - Seeds4Hope Program
  6. National Cancer Institute - Prognosis
  7. Canadian Cancer Statistics 2019

*This article was written with the support of Eddie Grimmett, WCRG Ignite Student 2021.

 

 

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