Stem Cells and Cancer Treatments
In 2014, there will be an estimated 1,665,540 new cancer cases diagnosed and 585,720 cancer deaths in the US. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US, causing almost 1 of 4 deaths. So how can we act against this seemingly unstoppable disease? The answer is stem cells. As of today, patients can opt for a bone marrow transplant, or replacement of stem-cell infused marrow from a donor. This is applied after a radiation or chemotherapy, which will also destroy blood cells. In the future, we may see spinal chord treatments where paralyzed people can have their nerves reinstated.