Technology
Cancer Overview
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the US. Half of all men and one-third of all women in the US will develop cancer during their lifetimes.1 Cancer is a generic term for a group of more than 100 diseases that can affect any part of the body. One defining feature of cancer is the rapid creation of abnormal cells which grow beyond their usual boundaries, and which can invade adjoining parts of the body and spread to other organs, a process referred to as metastasis. Metastases are the major cause of death from cancer.2
Not all tumors are cancerous. Noncancerous (benign) tumors do not metastasize to other parts of the body and are rarely life threatening. Regardless of where a cancer may spread, it is always named for the place (organ, tissue, blood etc.) where it originated. Severity of symptoms depends on the location of the tumor, stage of malignancy, and whether it has metastasized.
Cancer treatment is primarily surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Surgical removal of some tumors is impossible due to their location or the extent of penetration into the tissue or internal organ. Radiation, while attacking cancer cells, will also damage healthy surrounding cells. This side effect limits radiation dosing and therefore limits its effectiveness. If a tumor is detected after it has metastasized, surgery and radiation are generally ineffective, making chemotherapy one of the few remaining treatment options.
The oncology market is believed to be the third largest pharmaceutical market (behind cardiovascular and central nervous system therapy areas). Datamonitor has projected the market to grow to $53 billion by 2008, yielding a compound annual growth rate greater than 10%.
1. American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org
2. World Health Organization: http://www.who.int
