The cancer breakthrough myth

None of the multitude of accomplishments contributing to the advances described fit the definition of a breakthrough. Rather a broad advance of an entire front with progress in immunology, chemotherapy, surgery, radiology, diagnosis, chemical carcinogenesis, and viral oncology has occurred. A major advance in any one would still constitute a sally into the unknown. When dealing with hundreds of diseases, broad areas of information still to be discovered, major unknowns still to be tested systematically and applied to man, ethical requirements of appropriate medical and humanistic conduct in the carrying out of these investigations, and the factors of time, trained personnel, equipment, supplies, and other required resources, it seems that breakthroughs are unlikely. Rather, steady accelerating advance and increasing cures of more kinds of cancer appear likely, with an increasing appreciation by society that cancer research is indeed progressing towards what society wants: prevention of cancer; failing that, cure of cancer in increasingly higher percentages; and failing that, improvement in the treatments available which extend life of high quality and which decrease suffering.