Health sense: Are we winning the war against cancer?

Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by the uncontrollable abnormal growth of transformed cells invading healthy tissues in our body. It is a major health concern not only among Asians but people worldwide.

In the medical profession and realm of research, a war on cancer is being waged. This “war on cancer” essentially involves using research to improve the understanding of cancer biology in the hope of creating more effective treatments for patients.

You might ask, “Is medical science making advances in cancer research and treatments that are making a difference?”

The answer is definitely yes! The next question you may ask, then, is: “What are these advances in cancer research and treatments to date?”

In the past decade, treatment for the advanced stages of cancer has evolved from the “atomic bomb” approach of wholesale destruction of both cancerous and healthy cells through chemotherapy, to the “smart bomb” approach.

This involves using drugs to target cancerous cells in the hope that treatments will destroy only the cancerous cells, leaving the healthy cells intact. Research and clinical trials pertaining to the use of targeted anticancer therapies are being conducted on a day-to-day basis at the Johns Hopkins Singapore International Medical Centre, in addition to a few already approved medications.

As researchers dig deeper into the genetic roots of cancer, they are gaining an unprecedented understanding of how the disease develops.

Decades of research in the biology of cancer have significantly improved the scientists’ understanding of cancer biology, the risk factors, treatment options and prognosis of some cancers.  

Although only 5 to 10 percent of cancers are inherited, the origin and biological behavior of cancer cells can be traced to the molecular level.

Cancer develops because something in the genes has gone awry. Every time a cell in your body divides, it copies the entire genetic blueprint that makes you.

Sometimes, there may be mistakes made when the body’s machinery is copying this blueprint. This is normal. We have mechanisms that detect and repair these mistakes, but they get less efficient as a person ages.

These mistakes may lead to the uncontrollable growth of cells and hence, cancer occurs. Thus,
the longer you live, the more you are at risk of developing cancer and other diseases.

Individuals can take the reins themselves in order to win the war against cancer. Prevention, regular screening and seeking treatment early are the keys to cancer control.

The risk of getting cancer can be reduced by having a healthy lifestyle through a balanced diet, exercise and a healthy state of mental well being.

For those with early stages of cancer, metastatic progression can be reduced through adjuvant therapy in some cancers. Early detection of cancer with screening and diagnostic imaging can detect the disease in its early stages and lead to an improved survival rate if timely treatment can be prescribed.

Surgery is often the first option, with radiation and chemotherapy for advanced treatments.

Prevention is still the best way of reducing the number of people getting cancers. Moreover, the cost of prevention is lower than the cost of treatment.

The various types of screenings and advanced diagnostic instruments that are currently available, such as mammography, ultrasound, pap smear, colonoscopy, CT scans and MRIs have led to early diagnoses, precise staging and the correct monitoring of treatments.

Does this mean that an end to cancer is now within reach? Although we are not close to
eliminating the disease completely, patients in this generation and the next will have a much better chance of recovery than those who suffered the disease as few as five years ago.

Cancers, such as cancers of the lung and pancreas, will continue to be a challenge, but there are exciting scientific advances — such as new molecular targeting drugs, which will hopefully be able to both prevent and treat cancer brewing in the laboratories of The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, US, as well as shed new hope for certain patients.

The clinicians at Johns Hopkins Singapore International Medical Centre working with colleagues in Baltimore have been able to harness and translate these scientific discoveries into medical treatments and clinical trials that will benefit the people in the region.

Hopefully this will enable us to find better promising ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancers.

Yes, we are winning the war against cancer!



Professor Alex Chang, who has more than 20 years of clinical experience in treating various forms of cancer such as lungs, head & neck, breast and lymphoma, is currently practicing at the Johns Hopkins Singapore International Medical Centre. The Johns Hopkins Singapore International Medical Centre is staffed by oncologists specializing in wide range of cancers, such as breast, ovarian, cervical, lungs, throat, nasopharynx, stomach, pancreas, liver, kidney, colon
and lymphoma cancers.

Contact details: Tel: +65 6880 2206 Fax: +65 6880 2155 (http://www.imc.jhmi.edu) appt@imc.jhmi.edu