Cancer treatment is becoming so advanced a significant breakthrough could be on the horizon, leading experts have told The National.
They said work being carried out to combat cancer means the disease could someday be treated like a condition that can be managed, rather than be regarded as a death sentence.
The UAE's role in researching cancer was also praised by experts at the global congress of the WIN Consortium, which took place in Abu Dhabi last week.
The event brought together top physicians, researchers and scientists in precision oncology from across the world.
“We will see an acceleration of clinical trials and treatments which will reduce death rates as more data is gathered and [the rate of] genome sequencing increases,” said Nobel laureate Prof James Allison, speaking to The National.
No longer a death sentence
Also speaking at the event was renowned scientist Prof Padmanee Sharma of MD Anderson Carter Centre at the University of Texas - who is married to Prof Allison.
She explained how she was optimistic about the likelihood of making a breakthrough in the fight against cancer.
That optimism, she said, was fuelled by continued advancements in research.
“One day, cancer will not be considered as a death sentence. The people can think of cancer like they think of high blood pressure,” Prof Sharma said.
“Now, with immunotherapy and the revolution in genomic medicine and precision oncology, you can now look at a person’s data, look at their genetics and formulate a correct therapy.
“We are at the tip of the iceberg but we have to get going because we are on the right path.”
The likelihood of developing cancer varies, depending on where you get your information from.
In 2022, there were an estimated 20 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million deaths, according to the latest global report from the World Health Organisation's (WHO) cancer section, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
About one in five people develop cancer in their lifetime, with approximately one in nine men and one in 12 women dying from the disease, it says.
Lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer death (1.8 million deaths, 18.7 per cent of the total cancer deaths) followed by colorectal cancer (900 000 deaths, 9.3 per cent), liver cancer (760,000 deaths, 7.8 per cent), breast cancer (670 000 deaths, 6.9 per cent) and stomach cancer (660, 000 deaths, 6.8 per cent).
The data in the report, which was released last month, covers 185 countries and 36 types of cancer.
While the WHO's report says one in five people will develop some form of the disease during their life, the UK's NHS said the number was much bleaker with one in two likely to develop cancer at some point.
A recent report from the US Cancer Society put the likelihood of getting any type of cancer as one in two for men, and one in three for women.
UAE praised for research
Prof Allison was also effusive in his praise for the work the UAE was doing when it came to cancer research.
“With immunotherapies already approved and a remarkable level of investment dedicated to cancer care, the nation is forging ahead in clinical research and infrastructure development to propel advancements in patient outcomes,” said Prof Allison.
“By harnessing data from clinical trials, the UAE aims to tailor immunotherapy treatments effectively, marking a significant stride towards personalised medicine.”
Prof Allison, who also works at the MD Anderson Carter Centre, at the University of Texas, was honoured with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2018.
He was recognised for his pioneering research on cancer immunotherapy, specifically for discovering the CTLA-4 protein, which led to the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors.
He lost his mother, brother and two uncles to cancer, spurring his dedication to finding innovative treatments.
He also praised the UAE for its work in learning from past failures and fine-tuning treatments, emphasising the potential to redefine cancer as a manageable condition akin to hypertension.
There are currently more than 457 cancer patients and their families being treated at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in a tailor-made oncology programme that looks into the genetics of cancer patients and their families.
“The stigma around cancer is becoming less and less because of the new discoveries and also the new modalities of prevention and diagnosis,” said Dr Asma Al Mannaei, executive director of the Research and Innovation Centre at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, who was also speaking at the conference.
“We can see that cancer might soon be considered as a chronic disease and we can see a glimpse of a cure happening in the next 10 years.”
The event was organised in association with Abu Dhabi's Burjeel Holdings.
MATCH INFO
Alaves 1 (Perez 65' pen)
Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 52', Carvajal 69')
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
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The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
MATCH DETAILS
Manchester United 3
Greenwood (21), Martial (33), Rashford (49)
Partizan Belgrade 0
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