I came up with possible cancer treatments - are these feasible?

OP

Original post by PrismaticCore

Do you realise how many different types of cancer there are?
And how expensive it would be to incorporate everyone with these transcription factors?
It's a good shot, but it's very economically unfeasible, to the point where one wonders whether it's worth it. Also, it's more of a prevention as opposed to a cure; how do you get rid of the existing cancer cases?

I know cancer is a hard thing to bust as there are so many different cancers which are caused by different things. My ideas however are for cancers specifically caused by transcription factors.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 4

although i strongly disagree with most western medicine, and believe cancer can be fairly easily cured/treated.
to your question, i appreciate it can theoretically work but there are way to many variables not taken into account

bring on the negs people!!! :biggrin:

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 5

EmilieTheGreat

2

I'm not a doctor or anything, but I did A level biology and we studied cancer as part of it. What you're suggesting sounds a lot like tamoxifen, a breast cancer treatment that inhibits oestrogen as a transcriptional factor (oestrogen can trigger breast cancer).
Not sure if I've got the right idea, but maybe it's something to look into?

Reply 6

OP

Original post by susuthemusu

although i strongly disagree with most western medicine, and believe cancer can be fairly easily cured/treated.
to your question, i appreciate it can theoretically work but there are way to many variables not taken into account

I don't think cancer as a whole can be cured per se but prevented and treated. You cannot control random genetic mutations but you can control its effects.

Reply 7

OP

Original post by EmilieTheGreat

I'm not a doctor or anything, but I did A level biology and we studied cancer as part of it. What you're suggesting sounds a lot like tamoxifen, a breast cancer treatment that inhibits oestrogen as a transcriptional factor (oestrogen can trigger breast cancer).
Not sure if I've got the right idea, but maybe it's something to look into?

Yeah that's one transcription factor that causes a certain cancer.

Reply 8

OP

My real question is: should I mention what I've said in my OP (cancers related to transcription factors) in my coursework?

I'm sure what I've said has been thought by most scientists but I'm just a 1st year coming up with my own ideas.

Reply 9

Original post by T-Toe

I don't think cancer as a whole can be cured per se but prevented and treated. You cannot control random genetic mutations but you can control its effects.

i know many instances where the actual cancer has been cured, the actual mutation, not just the symptoms.
all cancers have certain properties which they share, and allow a person to live a few extra years as they cannot sustain their own bodies.
whether the pharmacutical industry share the fact a cure exists is another matter.

Reply 10

PrismaticCore

Original post by susuthemusu

although i strongly disagree with most western medicine, and believe cancer can be fairly easily cured/treated.
to your question, i appreciate it can theoretically work but there are way to many variables not taken into account

Please enlighten me regarding the text in bold. I am interested to hear your views on modern medicine.

Reply 11

That Bearded Man

22

Original post by T-Toe

I'm doing a research project and I'm coming up with ways of how cancer cell grow could be reduced.

Monitoring the activity of transcription factors and decipher which ones are oncogenic. Then via a series of trial and errors use various compounds which could be possible inhibitors. These inhibitors may have side effects so proper research is required.

Like how prokaryotes have repressors ingrained in their genome e.g lacI which prevents the encoding of lac genes. Ingrain a human repressor into the human genome preventing the production of oncogenic transcription factors?

Well?

My favourite would be to examine the role of telomerase

Reply 12

OP

Original post by That Bearded Man

My favourite would be to examine the role of telomerase

Fair enough but unfortunately my research project is on transcription factors. Are my ideas worth mentioning in my SPF?

Reply 13

Aeonstorm

9

Original post by susuthemusu

i know many instances where the actual cancer has been cured, the actual mutation, not just the symptoms.
all cancers have certain properties which they share, and allow a person to live a few extra years as they cannot sustain their own bodies.
whether the pharmacutical industry share the fact a cure exists is another matter.

Haha you sound just like my mum expounding her Chinese medicine. "Oh I tried it and it worked!" "It worked on my aunt!" "A friend of mine took this herbal treatment for two months and she was fine afterwards!"

She then goes on about how Western medicine cannot understand the intuitiveness and simplicity of Chinese medicine and therefore disregards it because it cannot understand it. She then talks about all the 'famous Chinese medicinal practitioners, historical and current' who have written about Chinese medicine and passed down 'great secrets'.

Sorry about this rant but I don't trust medicine unless its been properly tested and explained by science.

Reply 14

Original post by PrismaticCore

Please enlighten me regarding the text in bold. I am interested to hear your views on modern medicine.

modern medicine? if u mean eastern medicine, then yes. cancer is seen as evil, but we need to treat as another organism who is surviving in its habitat, which is your body. i shouldnt get into the philosophy of it, but the reason most chemo ends up killing the patient is because they themselves do not have a strong enough immune system.

removing the whole cancer can often leave the patient extremely weak. generally the principle of eastern medicine is to strengthen the immune system to an extent where is gets rid of the cancer/any disease. one of the leading cancer research centres is led by the man who ive learnt this from, so needless to say its pretty valid.
this can be achieved in a couple of ways, please id rather not say, no one here would actually want to know, nor am i trying to convince anyone it works.

Reply 15

Jake22

18

Original post by T-Toe

My real question is: should I mention what I've said in my OP (cancers related to transcription factors) in my coursework?

I'm sure what I've said has been thought by most scientists but I'm just a 1st year coming up with my own ideas.

This is the whole point of education: you have these ideas and then you go and look up what the history of the subject has already shown the extent of the idea is. So mention it in the coursework but consult the literature to put it in wider context and give a critical evaluation rather than just introducing the idea itself.

Reply 16

OP

Original post by Jake22

This is the whole point of education: you have these ideas and then you go and look up what the history of the subject has already shown the extent of the idea is. So mention it in the coursework but consult the literature to put it in wider context and give a critical evaluation rather than just introducing the idea itself.

I already have in my introduction section.

Reply 17

Original post by Aeonstorm

Haha you sound just like my mum expounding her Chinese medicine. "Oh I tried it and it worked!" "It worked on my aunt!" "A friend of mine took this herbal treatment for two months and she was fine afterwards!"

She then goes on about how Western medicine cannot understand the intuitiveness and simplicity of Chinese medicine and therefore disregards it because it cannot understand it. She then talks about all the 'famous Chinese medicinal practitioners, historical and current' who have written about Chinese medicine and passed down 'great secrets'.

Sorry about this rant but I don't trust medicine unless its been properly tested and explained by science.

if theres something you cannot comprehend, it doesnt make it illogical. china has the second highest life expectancy despite it being classified as a developing country a few years ago. the highest cancer rates are all mainly in the west, and the surgical equipment being used today was used in china and india 150 years ago roughly.
you hardly know anything about the practise apart from "herbs" which is the least significant method, so you are no position to judge. if every person had your attitude its no wonder why modern medicine has only managed to get so far. :frown:

Reply 18

Jake22

18

Original post by T-Toe

I already have in my introduction section.

Then I don't get the question? Surely the sources to which you refer will tell you about the feasibility and scope of these ideas?

As to whether you should include it in your report, well of course you should (as long as properly referenced) and it would seem that you have already reached this conclusion. At this stage I would imagine that the criteria of your work is more critical evaluation and interpretation rather than the novelty of actually suggesting/inventing a completely new method of treatment.

Reply 19

OP