Interesting Issues

There have been some interesting events occurring that could have a significant impact on the development of cancer research. It is often tempting to think that science occurs only in the lab or the lecture halls. Of course, we know that this is not so. There is much that occurs in the halls of government and often times these have major implications.

One such issue has to do with stem cells. It is felt by many scientists in this area that such research holds the key to potentially dramatic breakthroughs in the treatment of several important diseases. The problem as we have mentioned is the ethical issues surrounding the use of embryonic stem cells. There are some who propose that science could benefit just as well with the use of adult stem cells, while simultaneously avoiding much of the ethical dilemma. Interestingly, research has shown that adult stem cells appear to lose their proliferative potential as a protective anti-cancer mechanism. This implies that using adult stem cells as a source of therapeutic cells may have limited value. I’ll have more on this later. Join the stem cell debate discussion here.

Another interesting discussion has developed on the use of pap smears and newer improved versions of the test or alternative approaches. Among these is detection of the causative agent, Human Papilloma virus. As with any new test, the sensitivity and specificity will be followed closely to evaluate whether they can truly replace what has been considered the gold standard of cervical cancer screening for many years. Join in the discussion and share your thoughts.

--