Update on Reducing Mortality in Cancer, Case Study Brain

CancerCancer has accompanied humankind for 1000s of years. Earliest evidence for cancerCancer related deaths can be found in Egyptian mummies and references to cancer are recorded in the scriptures of Roman and Greek scholars. Cancer derives its name from its crab like appearance as described by Hippocrates leading to the term ‘carcinos’—cancerCancer. With increasing industrialization and improvement of living standards and human age throughout time, cancer mortalities have risen globally; however with advances in our understanding of cancerCancer biology, diagnosisDiagnosis and treatmentTreatment of certain cancers survivalSurvival rates have improved and mortalityMortality rates reduced. Strikingly, these trends are not found in one of the most aggressive cancerCancer types, GlioblastomaGlioblastoma (GBM). Reasons for this are manifold and indicative of the heterogeneityHeterogeneity within this tumorTumor type, inadequate early diagnoses, limited treatment options and underfunded researchResearch. GBM are highly aggressive tumors found in the brain. Their location and highly infiltrative nature make treatment very difficult and mortalityMortality rates amongst sufferers are high caused by the recurrenceRecurrence of tumorsTumor within 15 months of initial diagnosisDiagnosis and treatmentTreatment. In addition to the physical aspects of the disease there is also a psychological burden of sufferers and carers. With the advent of precision and personalized medicines, enhanced disease awareness and improved funding of brain tumour researchResearch advances in targeting this devastating disease are achievable.