Our knowledge of cancer is always expanding. Researchers and healthcare professionals take the knowledge gained from research studies and use it to develop practices that will help prevent, detect and treat cancer, as well as improve the quality of life of living with and surviving cancer.
The following content provides a small selection of research that shows promise for cancer.
Prevention
Researchers are studying risk factors that may increase a person’s chance of developing cancer. They are focusing their attention on genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors like diet, physical activity and smoking. Researchers hope to prevent cancer by learning more about why various cancers develop in the first place, and by changing people's lifestyle choices to reduce their risk of developing cancer.
Researchers are studying areas of risk reduction for cancer in detail, including those that focus on the potential roles of diet, exercise, body weight and occupational or environmental carcinogens in cancer prevention. Researchers are also studying chemoprevention as another approach to risk reduction.
Early detection and screening
Researchers are working to discover, improve or develop new tests that detect cancer early. When cancer is found early, treatment is more effective and people often have better outcomes.
Scientists are constantly developing and testing better routine screening methods so that certain cancers can be found and treated at the earliest possible stage.
Diagnosis
A key area of research activity involves developing better ways to diagnose and stage cancer. Areas of active research include developing more precise methods of diagnosing cancers when they are at an early stage, and identifying different subtypes of cancer to better tailor treatments. Scientists continue to improve imaging devices as technology improves.
Some tests may also provide important clues about prognosis and how best to treat a person with cancer to ensure that the tumour will respond to the treatments that are available. Researchers are also developing and testing new tumour marker tests, and some are routinely used in clinical practice.
Some scientists are now working with highly technical tools that detect differences between normal genes and those found in tumour cells. These technical tools use microarray and new sequencing technologies to examine DNA, RNA, protein or tissue and their complex biological interactions. Next-generation sequencing is a new sequencing technology that allows researchers to read the DNA of individual genes and whole genomes of tumours and normal cells quickly and easily. Microarrays allow scientists to quickly and accurately analyze the expression of many genes at one time using specialized equipment. This is called gene expression profiling. Eventually, researchers hope that more and more gene-based diagnostic tests will help doctors identify the most appropriate treatments for specific cancers and that more treatments will be tailored to each person's cancer.
Treatment
Researchers are looking at ways to improve cancer treatment. Advances in cancer treatment and new ways to manage side effects have improved the outlook and quality of life for many people with cancer.
Noteworthy research includes:
- Researchers are developing new and improved approaches to using surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy to better treat cancer while causing fewer side effects.
- Scientists are studying new biological therapy drugs and targeted cancer therapies. Targeted therapy is a very active area of cancer research.
- Canadian researchers are leading studies on stem cells that are thought to be at the root of some cancers.
- Clinical trials are testing cancer-killing viruses that are designed to specifically attack and kill tumour cells, while leaving healthy cells alone.
- Another focus of study is an approach that uses heat to kill certain cancer cells (called hyperthermia).
- Researchers are studying new combinations of drug and radiation therapy treatments. They are also trying to use standard treatments in new ways.
- Genetic research may lead to "personalized" cancer treatments (personalized medicine). By knowing more about the detailed genetic characteristics of a person's disease, specific treatments could be tailored for that particular cancer. The result could be better cure rates with fewer side effects.
Supportive care
Living with cancer can be challenging in many different ways. Supportive care can help people cope with cancer, its treatment and possible side effects and even end-of-life care. Because more people are surviving cancer, researchers are working to improve the care and quality of life of people living with and beyond cancer. This includes research into quality of life during cancer treatment, better communication between doctors and people with cancer, and the emotional and psychosocial aspects of cancer.
Special needs and concerns are also being identified, such as the effects of cancer diagnosis and treatment on sexuality and infertility. Researchers are also evaluating the usefulness of a wide range of complementary and alternative therapies for treating cancer and reducing some of the side effects associated with cancer treatment.