Raising the curtain on cancer. Is the puzzle finally becoming clear?

Looking back at the long history of cancer, we can still relate to that POSTGRADUATE MEDICINE editorial written 50 years ago: "None of the basic problems of cancer has been solved. The death rate is constantly mounting. Small wonder that many doctors face cancer with a pessimism bordering on resignation." The temptation is still to prepare for the worst. Nonetheless, cautious optimism is evident among cancer researchers. As Eugenie Kleinerman, a pediatric oncologist at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, recently explained, "We're running a marathon, not a sprint. What's important is not how fast we run the first two miles but when we cross the finish line." In many ways, cancer is still a derogatory word used figuratively in reference to uncontrolled evil. But progress against this common disease is real, as evidenced by the growing population of long-term survivors. New discoveries are expanding therapeutic options every year. The challenge continues to be educating health professionals and patients alike about environmental risks and warning signs, recognizing cancer early, and finding more effective and less toxic therapies. In addition, we need to learn about the prevention, detection, and treatment of late effects of long-term survivors. The curtain is rising on a new era of cancer management, and we all have fron-row seats.