Ask HN: Will cancer in humans ever be considered a non-fatal condition?

2 points by shaneprrlt 6y ago ↗ HN

I just read this article on the possibility of humans ever finding a cure for cancer (not sure how old the article is) and the outlook seems pretty bleak to say the least: https://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/cancer/facts/will-we-ever-cure-cancer.htm

If curing cancer is itself impossible because it is so deeply rooted in the fundamental processes of cells, how far are we from making cancer, regardless of the type, a non-fatal condition?

3 comments

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PaulHoule 6y ago ↗

Many people survive cancer today. Probably more will survive tomorrow. I don't see cancer even being 0% fatal, but people will be able to cure more and more.

mytailorisrich 6y ago ↗

Considering what cancer is and the advances we made in a very short time in treating it, I'd say it is overwhelmingly probable that it will be completely non-fatal at some point in the future.

This article is also rather misleading: it does not claim that cancer will never be fully treatable but rather that cancer will always exists: "cure for cancer" as in people will never get cancer anymore.

sp332 6y ago ↗

It will probably always depend on the type. Melanomas have >90% chance of survival. Pancreatic cancer has ~5% chance largely because it's usually not diagnosed at a treatable stage.