“Cancer” is the name given to a collection of related diseases wherein the body’s cells begin to divide without stopping and spread into surrounding tissues. Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells. When cancer develops the orderly process of cell division breaks down. As cells become more and more abnormal, old or damaged cells survive when they should die and new cells form when they are not needed. These extra cells can divide without stopping and may form growths called tumors.
Many cancers form solid tumors, which are masses of tissue. Cancers of the blood, such as leukemias, generally do not form solid tumors. Cancerous tumors are malignant when they spread into, or invade, nearby tissues. In addition, as these tumors grow, some cancer cells can break off and travel to distant places in the body through the blood or the lymph system and form new tumors far from the original tumor.
Though doctors are making an all-out effort to tame cancer, the battle is far from won and this number one killer still plagues humanity to this day. Might 2018 see the tipping point in this war? The hope rests in new therapies that are specifically targeted to combat cancer cells. The secret to making this leap may potentially lie in “innovative biomaterials”.
Medical journals like “Cancer Nanomedicine” are already filled with headlines like this, “We already have a synthetic lethal bullet: nanoparticles loaded with biomaterials induce death of cancer cells.” Moment of triumph indeed!… but only time will tell how much we are going to succeed.
What are “biomaterials”? Biomaterials can be derived either from nature or synthesized in the laboratory using a variety of chemical approaches utilizing metallic components, polymers, ceramics or composite materials. They are often used and/or adapted for a medical application, and thus comprise whole or part of a living structure or biomedical device which performs, augments, or replaces a natural function. Such functions may be relatively passive, like being used for a “heart valve”, or may be bioactive with a more interactive functionality such as “hydroxy-apatite coated hip implants”. Biomaterials are also used every day in dental applications. But it is a matter of surprise that biomaterials have the additional advantage of being able to function at “microscopic” level as “nanoparticles” and “microparticles” that can be delivered to target cancer cells.”
While biomaterials, as mentioned before, are firmly entrenched in some areas of modern medicine — such as in the form of heart valves and implants — they are a relative latecomer to the field of cancer combat. But, alas, this is what will provide a paradigm shift in our war against cancer. Killing cancer cells requires some form of targeted therapy that will home in on malignant abnormal cells without damaging normal tissues. This is easier said than done. But the real miracle is that “biomaterials” can be primed with a homing signal, such as a molecule that is specific to a cancer cell. This will allow the biomaterial to dock onto a cell bearing the matching molecule — like a lock and key — and deliver chemotherapy to kill the cancer cell. By killing only the target tumor cells, the side effects of chemotherapy may be significantly reduced.
And the beauty of it all is that scientists are doing it using “microneedles”. They have already succeeded in delivering molecules into the skin, for instance, to fight “malignant melanoma”, the most aggressive form of skin cancer. As Prof. Bromberg says, “This is a brand-new way of thinking about how, where, and when to deliver a targeted therapy. “Microneedles” are another genial invention. As their name suggests, they are tiny needles that can be used to permeate the skin. They are so petite that they do not penetrate the body very deeply and do not cause pain. Using a dissolvable microneedle to deliver therapeutic biomolecules will provide the final coup de grâce.
Meanwhile, as we await this quantum leap in 2018, for all cancer sufferers, I have here some soothing words. We know that cancer isn’t all rainbow and butterflies and once you enter a dark mindset, it can be hard to get out of it. But most of us have a message of hope and inspiration from erstwhile sufferers that helps bring some perspective and optimism faced with a bad situation.
Here are some quotes for my beloved cancer patients to help them lighten their burden: 1) When it rains, look for rainbows When it’s dark, look for stars. 2) Never give up. Never give in. 3) I’ve loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night. 3) I had cancer, cancer never had me. 4) It is often in the darkest skies that we see the brightest stars.
Elaborating upon her “Living with Cancer” column in the New York Times, Susan Gubar describes how keeping the mind occupied with some activities can right many cancer’s wrongs. Gubar shows how we can learn from methods that deepen our comprehension of what it means to live or die with the disease. Clearly, the thought of death frightens us. But then, a sense of peace comes over us when we begin to believe that death is nothing to fear and that beyond the grave we will rest in eternal security in a loving God’s hands. Amen!
(Dr Francisco Colaço is a seniormost consulting physician, pioneer of Echocardiography in Goa, column writer and singer/songwriter/music
aficionado)
