Cancer research

From ArticleWorld


Cancer research involves both bench research and clinical studies which evaluate the effectiveness of cancer treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy or any combination thereof. From the 1990’s, the emphasis in research has been on biotechnology such as immunotherapy and gene therapy.

A vital aim of cancer research is to identify the genes that mutate into cancer genes and the reasons why this process occurs. Some mutations are due to hereditary factors whilst others are caused by carcinogens.

Research institutes

There are many cancer research institutions all over the world dedicated to finding the causes and how to prevent this disease. To name a few: The Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research was established in 1971 and in 2004 was the largest international academic institute dedicated to understanding and controlling cancer. It maintains four divisions of research into Genetics, Biochemistry, Cell biology and Immunology. The National Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1973 and is committed to finding a cure for all types of cancer. The Cancer Research Institute in the UK concentrates of the body’s immune system itself as a way of preventing and treating cancer.