If you've ever had to do research and at some stage everyone has had to, you will know that it is one of the driest things in the world to do. It is as dry as sawdust. You just have to put your head down and work your way through. You do stumble across some interesting facts, it is rather the point of the whole venture, but it is somehow never enough to get you really excited about the process. Some research does not involve trawling through aeons worth of library books or internet pages, some research is a bit more practical. Scientific and medical research for example, reading is involved of course, but those involved also get to examine specimens under microscopes and make enlightened "aha, hmm" noises. In terms of dryness that type of research is practically sopping.
"Cancer research", funnily enough, is the study of cancer. Cancer research ranges from the basic biology of the disease to the effects of different types of treatment. Every aspect of the disease is studied i.e. causes of cancer, how cancer forms, methods of treatment and methods of prevention etc etc. The primary goal of cancer research is to produce effective treatment and prevention for all types of cancer.
There are different areas of cancer research all of which are interrelated and affect one another. Basic Research: Tries to answer some very general questions such as how do cells work? Why do cells grow? How do cells know when to divide? The main aim of basic research is to find out what makes cancer cells different from normal cells. They look at molecules and the building blocks of molecules, protein and DNA. They try to find out what goes wrong in cells when cancer develops. As an example, in a study in Scotland, scientists were studying proteins and they found a protein called MYC that contributes to 1 in 7 cancer deaths. Our cells actually need this protein, MYC, so that they can divide, but when we have cancer the cells are faulty and go into overdrive, the MYC turns on a specific proteins that cause rapid cell growth and division of cells. If scientists could find which of the proteins are activated they might be able to find ways to slow down their division or growth. Basic research is the foundation on which all other research in built.
Translational research: takes discoveries from the lab (i.e. basic research) and turns them into potential new treatments or diagnostic tests for patients. For example there is a study in Cambridge on how cells divide, where they found a group of proteins called MCM proteins, which are essential to the division process. One protein, MCM5, is being used to develop a diagnostic test for some cancers. MCM is found in high level in all dividing cells. Cancer occurs when cells go wrong and start multiplying out of control. MCM5 is found in many these out of control cells and not in normal cells. MCM5 is found in cervical, bladder, prostate and bowel cancer cells. The presence of MCM5 in a Pap Smear improves the accuracy in diagnosis for cervical cancer. Translational research bridges the gap between researcher and patients. It also involves investigating why a treatment may suddenly stop working after it has been working for a while or why a treatment produces unwanted side effects. One of the most important tasks of translation researchers is to improve current treatments.
Clinical research: The goal of clinical research is to develop more effective treatments. The scientists try new combinations and doses of existing treatments to see if they can come up with something that works better than the standard treatments in use. They also make use of translational research to develop new treatments. These scientists work in hospitals and not in labs like the two types above, this is so that they can have access to the patients. But not in a mad scientists way, they're allowed access to the patients in order to conduct clinical trials, which are regulated and ruled strictly. Cancer patients, usually in advanced stages of cancer, who have tried standard treatments and who have not benefited from them, volunteer to take part in these clinical trials. There are 4 phases to each trial. Phase 1 - to find out if a new drug or treatment is safe in people and how much of it should be given. This is the first time that the drug is tested on people. Phase 2 - to see if the drug is effective. Phase 3 - directly compares the new treatment with the standard treatment to see if the new treatment is better. Phase 4 - looks at the long-term safety and benefits of the treatment/drug.
Behavioural and population research: This type of research is undertaken in order to identify factors that influence our risk of getting cancer. They take a look at things like lifestyle choices, patterns, trends and incidences of different types of cancers so that they can develop strategies for prevention and good health.
Psychosocial research: This is research on the emotional and social impact that cancer has on patients, families and carers. It looks at the importance of support and help and tries to measure the quality of life, which is how the physical and psychological health affects enjoyment of life. Some questions that they consider and try to answer are: how do people react to the news that they have cancer? How do they cope with the treatment? Are people with cancer more likely to have mental health problems? How do cancer and its treatment affect daily life? Why do some patients decide not to finish treatment? How do families react to having a relative with cancer?
Some research is as previously stated, so dry and boring you could use it to start fires and have no trouble even in a hurricane. And some research would catch fire in the Sahara, that's the best kind and as an added bonus it's usually the most important kind. Research for this was kind of fun if you want to find out more try: http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerandresearch/aboutcancerresearch Those guys doing basic cancer research might have the word basic in the title but there is nothing basic in what they do. In addition to being important and life saving and foundation building for all other cancer research, they get microscopes and sharp instruments and other fun medical tools. Some people get all the fun. For more information, welcome to visit www.microscopebiz.com

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