Cancer is defeated, but you need to be able to use the weapon of victory

Anti-cancer Pill

Irina Krasnopolskaya, Rossiyskaya Gazeta – Federal Issue dated 04.05.2012

For three days at the N.N.Blokhin Russian Cancer Research Center, the country's leading oncologists discussed problems that, without exaggeration, concern each of us. Because we are all afraid of a cancer diagnosis, we perceive it as a verdict. Is it so? This and other questions are answered by the Director of the Russian Research Center, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences and RAMS Mikhail Davydov.

Mikhail Ivanovich, you can say as much as you like that heart and vascular diseases are in the first place in terms of deaths, but why does not even a heart attack cause such horror as a cancer diagnosis?– I am categorically against such a perception of cancer.

For this, I, who have devoted virtually my entire life to fighting them, have serious reasons, there are thousands of examples. Unfortunately, it is not customary to talk about success in our country, preference is given to negativity.

But, you must agree, there is more than enough negativity. With it comes hopelessness, loss of hope, a kind of hopelessness.– If you noticed, our forum focuses on the main, global task of modern oncology: to use the most powerful scientific potential that exists in world and domestic oncology to dramatically increase the effectiveness of treatment of cancer patients.

Is it real?– Under one indispensable condition: with the effectiveness of the system of early detection of malignant tumors.

All anti-tumor control programs should be aimed at this.

We talk about the importance of prevention all the time, but there is little sense...– In this case, it's not about prevention at all.

Although I do not agree with you that it is of little use. A healthy lifestyle, the fight against smoking, physical inactivity, a healthy diet, the ability to overcome stress – all this is very important. But it is difficult to implement all this in practice. It all comes down to social problems. In addition, it is not necessary to go to extremes in this struggle, to deprive people of everyday joys. But it is quite possible to achieve early detection of cancer – then it is curable.

There are many examples of this. However, not Russian, but the USA, Scandinavian countries. In the USA over the past 6-7 years, lung cancer has become one and a half times less. Only due to the fact that there is an effective fight against smoking. Stomach cancer is a rarity in the USA. In Russia, it is in second place among all cancer localities. In the United States, 95 percent of women recover from breast cancer. In Russia, there are only 60 percent of them. And this is due to the fact that tumors are detected at early, curable stages.

Early detection of cancer is the task of the general healthcare network, its primary care provider, general practitioner or?..– In your question I hear the answer: exactly "or".

This is the task of specialized oncological institutions, oncological dispensaries, which in no case can be destroyed. We don't have a real cancer service, real monitoring, screening. In Japan, for example, there are about 40 government-funded cancer programs. Japan is in the first place in the world in terms of the number of detected cancers, since this country has the longest life expectancy – the Japanese live up to their cancer, but... they don't die from it. For example, they have stomach cancer in the first place in terms of frequency. And the mortality from it is minimal. Because after forty years, they undergo a stomach examination every six months. A system of examination has been worked out, during which an endoscopic pill is given to a person, with the help of which the entire stomach is examined. If there is even the slightest trouble, a gastroscopy is performed. And there are no neglected crayfish there.

And we don't have such pills...– This is bad.

But the main thing is not in them. The main thing is that after the age of forty, everyone should undergo a special examination for early detection of a tumor.

Here is a vaccine against the human papillomavirus that affects the cervix and leads to the development of a tumor. It is able to protect a woman from the development of a malignant tumor. Do you, Mikhail Ivanovich, think it is possible to have a vaccine that prevents any cancer? Will the day come when it will be possible to say that cancer has been defeated?– The vaccine, in my opinion, is from the category of unreal.

But we can talk about the victory over cancer now. He is defeated. Thousands of patients who have undergone it are fully recovering. But you need to be able to use the weapon of victory. It should be available to everyone who needs it.

Surgical treatment is one of these weapons. It is well known that you master it masterfully. But one of the luminaries of Russian oncology Savitsky said during one of his lectures in the 60s of the last century: "I performed 10 cardia resections. 9 patients died. I haven't done these operations since."..– The possibilities of surgical treatment of the sixties and the current ones do not go into any comparison.

Surgical treatment has been, and I think will always be, an integral part of the fight against tumors. It is not for nothing that in oncology we are talking about combined treatment. And it is very important that not only a scalpel, but also all modern drugs, radiation therapy and so on are available.

In your opinion, should the patient be informed of his cancer diagnosis?– I am convinced - it is necessary.

It is already accepted all over the world. The patient should become an ally in the fight against the disease. He must know how to behave in order to resist him.

Mikhail Ivanovich, there are two signs on the doors of the reception room of your director's office. One has your last name on it. On the other – academician Nikolai Nikolaevich Blokhin...– This, of course, is not because I am his disciple and follower.

This is because Blokhin is the pride of Russia, a great scientist, a great doctor who laid the foundations of many modern trends in the development of oncological science and practice. And our current session is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of his birth. It is very important to remember about such people. And honor their memory.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru04.05.2012