P212121

I have a good feeling about how cancer changes lives. My mother, aunt, uncle, grandmother and both grandfathers have had cancer.

The cost of cancer research is mind blowing, at least billions.

I have complete respect for the people that are raising money for cancer research (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Lance Armstrong Foundation, Susan G. Komen, @drewfromtv). The people and organizations that are willing to fund cancer research are critical, but money alone does not fix the problem, people do. Scientists do.

I am missing a hero in my life. This hero is dedicating their life toward curing cancer.
I mean really working on it. Not some buzz word on an intro slide.

Who is your favorite scientist involved in cancer research? Who is the person that will fill Madison Square Garden with a science talk?

1. Look for a research area that is hot (cancer, green chemistry, energy, nanotechnology)
2. Figure out how to spin your research relates to that area
3. Find a couple of colleagues who each have a specialization (NMR, SPR, Mass Spect., etc…) – cross disciplinary
4. Have each of them write their own section, with the head PI bringing it all together
5. Submit it to a committee that has at least one person you or your colleagues know (or who graduated from the same university).

A number of crystallographers have been studying macromolecules related to various aspects of cancer. How much has research in general reduced the mortality in the USA (unable to find world wide data) over the last 60 years?

How was this graph made?
The above graph is from slide 6 of this powerpoint presentation by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (reference: www.cdc.gov/nchs/ppt/hpdata2010/focusareas/fa03_charts.ppt)

2000: 199.6
2001: 196.0
2002: 193.5
2003: 190.1
2004: 185.8
2005: 183.8
For the 2000-05 data, the closest link can be found here, after which select cancer in the top toggle.

The stability of the cancer mortality rate in the USA over about the last 60 years is fascinating. Before seeing this data, I would have assumed that with all the money spent on cancer research that we would have significantly reduced the mortality rate.

Implication, if you have cancer today, you have about the same chance of living as in 1950.

I had never seen this information by any news agency and thought it would be worth discussing, thoughts?

As a side note, thanks Norm for digging through the CDC website to find this information.