Top Medical Breakthroughs

What do you think about that cervical cancer immunization?

 

My thoughts are:

1. Human Genome Project
2. Cloning/Stem cells
3. Gene Therapy

 

I dunno about HIV meds as a "last decade" topic. The novel agents from each of the three HIV meds classes were all discovered more than 10 years ago with the exception of the fusion inhibitors, so there is really only one novel thing to discuss.

 

If this pans out, it's going to be amazing...

Nicotine vaccine continues to show promise

I don't know if it would qualify as a top medical breakthrough, but it certainly has the potential to make a huge difference in one of the most risky behaviors.

 

I know this isn't a recent breakthrough, but the progress in controlling and treating cancer has been quite amazing. And what about all those new non-invasive procedures/alternatives to surgery? Maybe that's more on the clinical side.

 

Moosepilot, can you elaborate? Not familiar with this. Thanks.

 

http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/cervical-cancer-vaccine1102

I think this is a big story. Maybe not one of the greatest advances ever, but I think this is how we make the big health advances, one killer after another.

 

But isn't cervical cancer a bit unique in that the cancer is caused by a virus? I mean, not all cancers are caused by viruses (only about ~25%?), so I'm not sure vaccines will be the future of cancer treatment/prevention.

It's great that the cervical cancer vaccine shows such efficacy, but I'm not if it's applicable to some of the other major cancer killers.......

 

I'm not implying that it will impact any other cancers. I think it's great just for what it is. I think the discovery of what really caused ulcers was awesome, but this is much more than that, IMO.

 

I'll tell you what; I'll spend my career curing 25% of all cancer cases, and you can spend yours doing something really important.

Seriously, though, this is a phenomenal advance; it may not be "the cure for cancer" but few health problems are brought under control with a "silver bullet" like the polio vaccine. These researchers can go to the AdCom of the Pearly Gates with one hell of an EC.

 

1. As heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, statins are enormously beneficial.

2. The internets ability to spread knowledge.

3. As previously stated, the genome projects.