Like the prior posting, this is an article from the always excellent NY Times Health and fitness section. Since my lymphoma oncologist Dr. Zelenetz says I am in remission, but probably not cured, I suppose I am in a smiilar position to the people in this article.
Personal Health – Cancer as a Disease, Not a Death Sentence – NYTimes.com
Through a better understanding of factors that distinguish cancer cells from normal ones and the development of more specific treatments that capitalize on those differences, cancers that just a decade ago would have been rapidly fatal are now being controlled for years while the patients conduct near-normal lives.
Although these cancers may never be curable, they can often be controlled for long periods by a succession of treatments. When one therapeutic approach no longer works, another one that has come along in the meantime might stop the disease from progressing, at least for a while.
Even patients whose cancers were already metastatic — spread beyond the site of origin — at the time of diagnosis are benefiting from this sequential approach. …
Leave a Reply