From the Director's Desk
Exploring Uncharted Territory
The other day I was invited to join a panel on public radio KQED’s Forum, where we discussed recent advances in breast cancer research, including options in treatment, prevention, funding, and access to care. Our lively discussion included the ongoing Herceptin clinical trial at the University of Kentucky, in which early results indicate an improvement in the disease-free survival for women in their first year of taking the drug. On the one hand, I welcome any progress made in the effort to eliminate breast cancer; on the other, I’m concerned about potentially over-hyping incremental advances that will only help a small group of women who develop breast cancer. Until we can prevent and cure breast cancer, we can’t stop looking for new and better ways to help everyone affected by the disease.
When Michael Krasne, the show’s host, asked me what I thought was needed most in breast cancer research, I said, “We need new ideas.” Ever since the show aired, people have been asking me what I meant. Yes, it’s great that we’re making improvements in breast cancer treatment, but too few researchers have explored beyond the same theories about breast cancer. We have a list of things we know are associated with breast cancer, but we don’t know how they cause breast cancer. We need more answers. Better yet, we need more questions.
Because of the CBCRP’s uniqueness—our commitment to innovation—we are able to support controversial research projects that have a high risk of failure, because they could also radically advance our efforts towards a solution to breast cancer. We’ve funded investigations into the possible connection between the bovine leukemia virus and breast cancer. We’ve supported research into the hypothesis that the sterile environment of the industrialized countries inhibits our immune systems’ ability to fight breast cancer. We have funded studies pursuing the theory that estrogen given at pregnancy levels during adolescence can prevent the disease. The outcomes of these studies are not yet fully realized, but they will add information about this complex disease. We need more people to pursue different ideas, explore new theories, and come up with unique and challenging hypotheses that focus not just on detection and treatment, but also on causes and prevention.
It is the CBCRP’s job to encourage exploration into uncharted territory. It is the researcher’s challenge to step off the “known” path and take the leap to invest time in a radically new idea. We can work together to explore implausible ideas with scientific rigor. Although some ideas may fail, even one success could make all of the effort worthwhile.
Mhel’s appearance on KQED’s
Forum on the CBCRP website.
Marion H. E. Kavanaugh-Lynch, M.D., M.P.H.,
Director of the CBCRP
It is the CBCRP's job to encourage exploration into uncharted territory.
It is
the researcher's challenge to step off the "known" path and take the leap to
invest
time in a radically new idea. |
