re: Is cancer preventable or is it inevitable?

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I would like to know how many people would lose their job if there was a cure for cancer.

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I work in the cancer diagnostics industry. Most people don't understand that cancer is not just one thing. Different kinds of cancer are started for different variety of reasons. This also means that those types of cancers are only treatable for that specific kind.

Breast for example has many different hormones which can cause the beginning of a tumor. Depending on the type this then can metastasize and enter the blood stream which then spreads around the body. Even if it is now in the liver, it is still a breast cancer.

We have techniques to narrow down the exact types of cancer through a staining process which allows us to know a specific treatment will be effective.


To get back to your question, there will never be a "cure" for cancer. There will be treatments for every type of cancer which will become more and more effective. My job would not be affected since customers still need the diagnostic equipment.

I will say I would gladly give up my job if it meant even one strain of cancer was "cured".