Battling Cancer: At the Speed of Science

Worldwide, breast cancer is the most common invasive cancer, with more than 2.2 million impacted annually. Metastatic breast cancer (mBC), the most advanced stage of breast cancer in which the cancer has spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body (i.e., organs, bones), remains an incurable disease. As a result of earlier screening, increased awareness, and better treatments, breast cancer deaths have continued to decrease in older women. From 2013 to 2018, the death rate went down by 1% per year. 

The genitourinary (GU) tract is comprised of urinary, reproductive and adrenal system organs. Organs of the genitourinary tract include the prostate (males only), kidneys and bladder. GU cancers are pervasive and notoriously hard to treat, despite available therapies. Each person’s cancer behaves differently, requiring a tailored, individualized approach for each individual. 

Blood cancers strike ruthlessly at any age. Some come fast and take lives within weeks or months. Others develop in the bones and blood over time, requiring intense and aggressive treatment interventions that are traumatic, emotionally overwhelming, and expensive. More than 1 million people worldwide were diagnosed with a blood cancer in 2020, representing almost 6% of all cancer diagnoses globally. In 2020, more than 700,000 people worldwide died from a form of blood cancer. 

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death among men and women globally, and the global five-year survival rate at 17.8 percent is much lower than leading cancers. Lung cancer is notoriously difficult to treat due to the heterogeneous nature of the disease, variability in testing rates and the onset of drug resistance. These challenges necessitate an individualized approach to treatment, ensuring people with lung cancer receive the right drug at the right time.

Worldwide, colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer in men, and the second most common in women, with approximately 1.8 million new diagnoses in 2018. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 147,950 people will be diagnosed with cancer of the colon or rectum in 2020, and approximately 53,000 are estimated to die of their disease each year. 

Though melanoma skin cancer is much less common (1%) than some other types of skin cancers, it causes the vast majority of skin cancer deaths. It is considered more dangerous because it’s much more likely to invade nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body if not caught and treated early when it is most likely to be cured.