How research has improved cancer treatments

Getting a cancer diagnosis today can mean something very different than it meant a few decades ago.

Cancer is still deadly. But thanks to advances in detection and treatment, cancer for some people has turned into a manageable condition.

A report from the American Cancer Society out this week shows that for the first time that the five-year survival rate for all cancers has reached 70 percent.

Tumors are being found at earlier stages, when treatment can be more effective. Surgery and radiation have gotten more precise. Researchers have refined their understanding of different types of cancers and developed new drugs that zero in on the unique biology of specific tumors.

Maybe most importantly, researchers are figuring out how to use the body’s own immune system to fight cancer in ways that doctors couldn’t have imagined 20 years ago.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her guests about how cancer treatments are improving.

Guests:

• Dr. Emil Lou is a medical oncologist and professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School who sees patients at M Health Fairview Masonic Cancer Clinic. He specializes in gastrointestinal cancers, such as colorectal and pancreas cancers, and is also involved in cancer research.
• Dr. Rachel L McCaffrey is a breast surgical oncologist at Allina Health who specializes in treating breast cancer.