There is good news for physicians and patients of cancer, particularly brain cancer. It has been found in the results of a latest research that the amniotic fluid is useful in the treatment of lung diseases.

Research also suggests that there is a large amount of the fluid in the human stem cells. The fluid may even be used in fighting cancer. Mesenchymal stromal cells are found to be present in great numbers in the fluid to help us fight brain cancer effectively.

“Stem cells isolated from human amniotic fluid (AFSs) have the ability to differentiate into different cell types. Recent research has shown that amniotic fluid-derived stem cells show similarities to both embryonic and adult stem cells and can differentiate into many different kinds of cells”, said one author of the study Dr. Cesar V. Borlongan.

These cells are further found to lead to generation of muscular line, fat line and more importantly liver line of cells. It may open a new chapter in the direction of many breakthroughs in Medicine as the cells are highly regenerative.

Amniotic fluid is the fluid present in the amniotic sac, the sac around the fetus in uterus of mother. It contains considerable amount of stem cells.

Cancer cannot be defined under the category of a single disease. These uncanny unpredictable malignancies included in cancer can literally affect every organ of human body. Thus to curb this emerging menace, cancer research is the reliable tool.

Cancer research helps in the identification of the respective causes of cancer and develops the strategies for the diagnosis, prevention and cure for cancer. The various features those are included in cancer research

*  Molecular bioscience
*  Epidemology
*  Clinical trials and comparison of various cancer treatments
*  Cancer applications, which range from therapy of hormone, chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, gene therapy, immunotherapy etc.
*  Functioning strategies of cancer research

The areas of research for cancer treatment are basically genetics, environmental and chemical factors, mutations, diet, etc. Cancer research includes the discovery of tumour suppressor genes. These genes play a decisive role in researching about the innumerable cancer types. It also includes a detailed study regarding the stages of oncogenes, the dramatic cell proliferation, development of tumours, 

Institutes for cancer research

There has been a tremendous increase in the number of institutes conducting cancer research. More that four hundred million dollars in invested in these institutes by the government, charitable institutions and pharmaceutical industries. Some of the renowned cancer research institutes are American Association for Cancer Research, Cancer Research UK, Dana-farber/ Harvard Cancer Centre, American Society of Clinical Oncology, and Australian Cancer Research Foundation.

Recent Updates

The number of deaths caused by cancer has witnessed an apparent decrease in the past years. New York Times recently revealed that there has been a tremendous decrease of around twelve thousand deaths caused due to cancer when compared with the early nineties.  There has been prominent research in the cancer types including prostate, breast and lung.

Advances in breast cancer research

It has been discovered that the xenoestrogens normally found in cosmetic, nail polish removers, lotions, pesticides and insecticides cause hormonal imbalances and disrupt the normal functioning of the immunity system.

Advances in lung cancer research

It has been discovered that early detection of ultra violet photography helps in reducing chances of skin lesions and skin cancer. UV camera and photodynamic therapy is another evolving tool for the diagnosis.  
 

Advances in prostate cancer research

Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent cancer types affecting males. The Prostate specific antigen test is one of its diagnosis tools. The specific reasons behind the causes of prostate cancer are still unknown. It has been discovered that prostate cancer mostly affects the black men. It has also been discovered that anti-inflammatory medicines, for example aspirin helps in reducing the chances of prostate cancer.

Drawbacks of cancer research

One of the setbacks to the ever-evolving cancer research is the discovery of treatments, which focus a minority of cancer types. In addition to it, the entire research for changes and their implementation in the cancer cases is quite slow. Thus there is no focussed treatment tuned for every individual cancer patient. Though the usage of natural cellular defense has aided in granting remission to for cancer patients serving at their fourth stage, there has been no amalgamation of allopathic and herbal drugs so far.

Thus, it’s a subject of serious consequences whether the cancer research of today is really fast paced and evolving or just incompetent to meet the needs of cancer patients.

There are different forms of cancer that can occur in the living beings. All different kinds of cancer, begin with the body cells. Human body is made up with many cells and when these cells expand they outgrow other cells, which are necessary to keep the body healthy. When these cells die, other cells are formed. But when these new cells are not formed in the correct manner or when they are formed at the time when the body does not require them, these extra cells results in cancer or tumour.  

Cancer occurs when the group of cells show uncontrolled growth further from the normal limits. 

Cancer takes place in people belonging to any age group. However, it is said that it increases or causes severe pain with the increment in the age.  According to a survey, it was found that 13% of deaths are caused due to cancer. 

All cancers are the result of irregularities in the genetic material of the distorted cells. It occurs due to inhalation of tobacco smoke, radiation, chemicals, or through infectious agents. The cells of cancer are formed from the normal cells because of amendment or mutations of DNA or RNA. These mutations occur suddenly or due to other factors such as nuclear radiation, ultra-violet rays or through electromagnetic rays. These generate mutations, which result into cancer. 

Cancer cells can spread to the other part of the body through the blood circulation or through lymph systems. Cancer is not a one kind of disease and there are many kinds of cancer. The main among its kinds are:

·         Carcinoma- In this type cancer begins in the tissue or in the skin or it can cover the internal organs of the body.

·         Sarcoma-in this cancer begins or starts with the bones, muscles, blood vessels, or in other connective or loyal tissue.

·         Leukaemia-here cancer starts in the blood- organising tissue such as the bone core and causes the numbers of blood cells to be organised and thus enter the blood.

·         Lymphoma and myeloma-in this cancer begins in the cells of the immune system.

·         Central nervous systems- here cancer occurs in the brain or in the spinal cord.

There are only three ways for treating cancer that is through surgery, radiation or through chemotherapy. But with enhancement in levels of research, specific treatments are developing in order to cure different kinds of cancer. The targeted therapies have shown progress specially in deducting the abnormalities in certain cells.

Radiation and chemotherapy destroys the immune system. The respective cancer can again crop up in future if a person has taken the treatment of radiation or chemotherapy early before the correct period. All these methods only shrivel the cancer; they don’t help in removing the disease entirely. Radiation also causes damage to the normal cells of the body. Thus cancer refers to the class of diseases so it is improbable to say that there will be a single cure for cancer treatment.