The evolution of cancer research has greatly improved our understanding of the various forms of this disease over the last 200 years, according to The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). In their 200th anniversary article, NEJM discusses the big changes in cancer research and treatment that have occurred during its tenure.
In the first 100 years of NEJM’s publication, healthcare professionals were able to observe cancer tumors, weight them, and measure them, but they were not capable of actually analyzing and understanding the mechanics of growth of cancer cells. Important advances in cancer research during this centennial included Peyton Rous’ 1911 discovery of a viral cause of avian cancer and Theodor Boveri’s 1914 proposal that chromosomal mutations can trigger cancer.
It was not until 1944 that cancer research took a leap forward after a retired scientist reported that, following his experiments with the pneumococcal bacillus, cellular information was transmitted through DNA, not proteins. This discovery eventually led to another one, that cellular information could be transferred from RNA to DNA; which had a strong influence on how cancer is treated.
Over 200 years, the medical community has gone from “guessing” at what lies within a cancer cell to being able to analyze every idiosyncrasy of it. With this new understanding of cancer on a cellular level, scientists are able to develop new and more effective treatments, though, ultimately, it is the actions or inactions of healthcare professionals that have the most effect on a cancer patient’s prognosis. Unfortunately, many healthcare professionals fail to diagnose and treat cancers in accordance with accepted medical standards.
If you or a loved one has suffered as the result of a healthcare professional’s failure to diagnose or effectively treat your cancer, you may be entitled to pursue a civil action. The knowledgeable New Jersey failure to diagnose cancer lawyers at Blume Forte can help you understand your rights and determine whether your potential claim may have merit. To learn more, contact us at 973-845-4421 for a no-cost consultation.