Cancer research. It has taught us about risk factors, environmental factors, health screenings, causes, treatment options, metastasis, recurrence, rates of survival, and even how healthy cells might be used to wipe out the cancerous cells. Cancer research is broad and reaches far beyond the study of the infected cells. The research helps us to understand cancer and the many aspects of it that will affect the estimated 1,735,350 people who will be diagnosed with cancer in 2018, not to mention the millions already living with the disease. The years upon years of research devoted to cancer has led to valuable insight and life-saving measures. To emphasize the importance of the contributions of cancer research, the month of May was established as National Cancer Research Month and is led by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). More information about National Cancer research month can be found here and here.

When it comes to cancer, the areas of research are vast. Many people may not know that there is more to cancer research than looking for treatments or a cure. To understand cancer, researchers spend years discovering how the disease forms, what environmental factors play a role, and what treatments might stop it. The types of research range from basic cancer research that studies the actual cancer cells to survivorship research that studies how cancer affects people after treatment. Database and population-based research are also critical to learning more about cancer. At cancer.ca the Canadian Cancer Society gives a thorough description of the various kinds of cancer research and the value they have which can be found here.

Once considered a hopeless disease, cancer plagued civilizations dating as far back as ancient Egypt, which you can read about here and here. However, it was in the early 1900s that worldwide cancer research began to offer a more clear understanding of the disease. Groups, like the AACR formed in 1910 and the Canadian Cancer Society formed in the 1930s, brought doctors and scientists together with the mission to search for ways to eradicate the disease and help improve the quality of life for those living with cancer. It was 1971 when President Nixon declared a war on cancer. The disease had become the second leading cause of death by 1970 and Nixon’s signing of the National Cancer Act of 1971 aimed to amplify the national efforts against cancer. The act established the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in its current form. Formerly created by the National Cancer Act of 1937 as the federal government’s agency for cancer research, the NCI was strengthened in 1971 with broader authority given to the director and more emphasis placed on research that included public and private partnerships, funding for additional cancer research facilities, and the creation of an international research data base. Today, the NCI is made up of about 3,500 people and 30 divisions, offices and centers all working to advance cancer research. The NCI, which calls itself the leader in the nation’s cancer research, reports that in the last few decades there have been declines in rates of new cancer and overall cancer deaths and that the number of cancer survivors in the United States more than doubled between 1992 and 2016 from 7 million to more than 15 million and the number is expected to rise to more than 26 million by 2040. More information about the NCI and it’s history can be found here and here and here.

For those affected by cancer, the research can be critical and today it is more accessible than ever. Research groups and advocacy organizations are available to patients and caregivers all day, every day through the internet. Data can be found, reviewed and discussed all from the comfort of your own home, favorite coffee shop, or wherever you have access to wifi thanks to programs such as the Patient Empowerment Network (PEN) Empowered Patient Chats , Patient Cafe , and Facebook groups. Not only are the patient resources increasing in number, they are increasing in value. “Online communities may be virtual, but they are no less real in terms of support and influence,” writes Marie Ennis-O’Connor in her September 2017 post for PEN’s Patients Helping Patients Blog. Ennis-O’Connor’s post, 12 Keys to Finding, Growing, and Nurturing Your Online Community, emphasizes the value of online communities to cancer patients when it comes to research, support, or any number of topics critical to ensure that patients stay informed, supported, and empowered.

Jennifer Lessinger

Jennifer Lessinger is a professional writer and editor who learned the value of patient empowerment during her struggle with a hard-to-diagnose and complex endocrine disorder.