Why it's so hard to cure cancer, and why Keith Richards may have provided the key

[bennevisplace]

This video vimeo.com/175547507 made seven years ago, addresses the question "Why is it so hard to cure cancer?" It's a broad brush approach, communicating ideas using simple analogies. Serious yet engaging IMO.

Don't be deterred by the weird outfit or the poor sound quality (I recommend headphones). This guy is very smart and has deep expertise in oncology.

NB the Brian Cox introduced at 8:50 ("what cancer looks like") is not the esteemed actor, but the physics professor and know-all pictured, who regularly presents on BBC television/ radio.

[mdsp7]

I loved this! Thank you!

[lexie]

No closed caption for those of us who are hearing impaired. Cannot make out any words. How about a synopsis?

[bennevisplace in reply to lexie]

I'll attempt this later, in a bit of a rush just now.

[bennevisplace in reply to lexie]

In a nutshell

For all the technological progress made, our increased understanding of the disease, and the explosion in treatments, cancer is hard to cure. Why?

The 75 trillion cells in our body are governed by exquisitely complex regulatory sytems that developed over 4 billion years of evolution. Harmony is achieved, via constant molecular signalling, through stimulatory and inhibitory processes in dynamic tension. And like an autopilot, there are 3 or 4 backup systems almost (but not quite) guaranteeing failsafe.

Cancer has had 4 billion years to learn how to turn the body's natural regulatory systems against itself, while we have had just 100 years to learn how to fight back. Cancer is capable of turning certain stimulatory processes up to max, suppression to off, and regulation to dysregulation. We can attack cancer on one level, say with one set of drugs, and it retreats, re-groups and returns on another activated pathway.

With the know-all professor Brian Cox as the metaphor for all-capable cancer, we learn that Keith Richard's "knife fighting strategy" could be the way to kill him off. While the knife is waved in the air as a distraction, you "kick him in the balls till kingdom come". Quite how this translates into an oncology approach is not revealed, but in a separate video Dr Acton expresses the view that the way forward is immunotherapy.

[22011 in reply to bennevisplace]

Thanks for that. I don't have to watch it now!

[bennevisplace in reply to 22011]

He's much more entertaining than me, I assure you.

[lexie in reply to bennevisplace]

Wow, thanks! I have seen Brian Cox many times on tv. He is a brilliant communicator. I took a few physics courses for my geology degree so love to see it applied. Your highlights are pretty comprehensive and I appreciate the effort you made.