Cancer is one of the most common killers in the world today. It seems that the word cancer has become a common household term, while just thirty years ago the number of people diagnosed with this disease was only a small percentage of the number of cases in the world today.
With no known cure for this incredible killer disease scientists have been scrambling for answers. Now, it appears that a team of scientists at Duke University may have made one the biggest breakthroughs in the world of cancer since chemotherapy. According to CBS' 60 Minutes this team of incredibly dedicated doctors and scientists may have found a way to cure one of the world's most deadly forms of cancer.
Glioblastoma is a very aggressive form of brain cancer. When patients are diagnosed with this cancer, the prognosis is usually given in weeks and months rather than years. The team at Duke University has been working on a new form of treatment for glioblastoma that has proven not only to be effective, but has been called a miracle by some patients.
By modifying the polio virus and adding the common cold as a second ingredient they've created in incredible serum that has not only extended the lives of some glioblastoma patients by months and years, but has even put some into what the team calls "remission."
So, how does this treatment work? It's quite simple really. The doctors create a pathway to the heart of the tumor, then drip the polio virus into it very slowly. The process takes time, with just about half a teaspoon of the virus requiring a six hour injection.
Dr. John Sampson is one of the pioneers in this area of experimental treatment. He says, "It's just like a sniper's bullet. If it doesn't go to the right place, it's not gonna hit the target. And it's not only important to get it to the right place, but also to make sure that it doesn't go to the wrong places, doesn't cause any harm to the patient."
The team has seen incredible results in glioblastoma treatments using this method. It eliminates the need for chemotherapy, radiation, and other traditional treatment methods. Patients are given a single injection of the modified polio virus and then monitored over time. While not ever case has turned into the "miracle" that many are hoping for, the fact that the success rate of the team is as high as it is seems to indicate that they may be on to something big.
Could a cure for cancer be just around the corner? We reported recently that indications of breast cancer have been found in remains as old as 4,200 years. To finally find a way to cure a disease that has been recognized as a death sentence would be more than a medical breakthrough. It would indeed be a "miracle."
What do you think? Should experimental procedures be used to treat human cancer patients? Let us know your opinion in the comments section below.
