1. WARS ON CANCER,YEAR40,WHO’S WINNING 第 5 組 103001011 劉俊忠 103001012 蒋齡暉 103001091 蕭宇彤 103001113 張凱竣

2. On December 23, 1971, President Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act of 1971 into law. The legislation had tremendous bipartisan support and came at a time of great optimism. Many thought its passage would lead to a cure for cancer within a few years.

3. Forty years later, the war is still being waged, and much of the optimism has faded. This year, more than 500,000 Americans will die of cancer. Obviously, this is a war not won, and it is appropriate to ask: What have we gotten from this 40-year war?

4. Today, we know that cancer is far more complicated than imagined in 1971. Science has provided an amazing understanding of the disease at the cellular and molecular level. This understanding is causing medical science to change the definition of cancer from that used since the mid-1840s with a light microscope to a 21st-century definition based on genetics and genomics.

5. Forty years later, clinical trials have shown impressive treatment outcomes, especially in the early stage of the disease. In clinical studies, many of the newer treatments for widespread or metastatic cancer extend median survival by just a few months. It is progress but clearly not satisfactory progress.

6. The act improved American cancer registries. These registries documented the increase in cancer mortality rates through the 1970s and 1980s and the decline since 1991. After adjusting for age, the cancer death rate has declined from 1975 to 2009

7. REASONS CAUSE CANCER

8. Research shows that there is still significant potential benefit to cancer prevention. More than 20% of Americans still use tobacco, and it is still the leading cause of cancer.

9. . There has been a dramatic rise in the rate of obesity over the past 40 years. The triad of obesity, poor nutrition and lack of physical activity could emerge as the leading cause of cancer in the United States over the next decade

10. Apparent links between psychological stress and cancer could arise in several ways. For example, people under stress may develop certain behaviours, such as smoking, overeating, or drinking alcohol, which increase a person’s risk for cancer.

11. OTHER FACTORS

12. CONCLUSION Given the progress made over the last 40 years, it's tempting to think that the tide has turned in our war against cancer, but cancer is a wily adversary and quick to adapt. That adaptability may make it impossible to eradicate cancer fully from our lives. We might as well focus on prolonging life rather than eliminating death.