Events
August 2, 2010
Fighting remains in war on cancer
“Since about the 1970s there’s been over $100 billion spent by the federal government on cancer research” money, more than matched by other sources. “So people ask where’s my cure?” said Susan Gapstur, an American Cancer Society vice president and Rollins School of Public Health adjunct professor.
Gapstur traced the progress in America’s war on cancer at the Winship Cancer Institute’s Grand Rounds on July 14.
“Cancer mortality rates have come down by about 16 percent since 1990. We have a growing arsenal of tools for prevention, early detection and treatment and survivorship.”
However, she noted, “There’s really a lot of work to be done. One in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer. Those are incredibly bad odds . . . The biggest challenge is the obesity epidemic,” which may wipe out “all this tremendous work we’ve done at decreasing tobacco.”
