A 24-year-old member asked:
Why cancer is still not curable at a later stage?
2 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in
Dr. Shaym Puppalaanswered
Internal Medicine 27 years experience
Could kill patient: Simplified answer, not universally the case:goal is to kill all cancer cells.Some chemotherapy kills cancer cells because cancer grows faster than "normal" cells.Unfortunately, some "normal" cells do grow fairly quickly or are very active (hair follicles, surface of the gut, bone marrow), and they suffer. In advanced cancer, amount of chemo required to kill cells would kill patient.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Michael Kleinanswered
Family Medicine 23 years experience
Complicated answer: My best attempt to cover in 400 characters is this.Once cancer has spread through the whole body as it does in a late stage, the horse is out of the barn. There are too many microscopic cells to completely remove each one, and the cancer isn't in just one place to cut out. There are many excellent therapies which can dramatically reduce or delay recurrence in later stage cancers even if not cured.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Michael Thompson commented
Hematology and Oncology 22 years experience
Some "late stage" cancers CAN be cured! EG - testicular (eg Lance Armstrong), lymphoma, etc. Cancer is complicated and outcomes depend on cancer type, stage, prognostic factors, and patient characteristics. In general however, late stage cancers ARE difficult to cure.
Dec 6, 2011
Dr. Michael Klein commented
Family Medicine 23 years experience
Provided original answer
I agree wholeheartedly with Dr. Thomson's comment, just couldn't fit it above!
Dec 6, 2011
Dr. Shaym Puppala commented
Internal Medicine 27 years experience
Indeed, to answer this question thoroughly would likely require writing at least one textbook.
Dec 6, 2011
Last updated Oct 4, 2016
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