New war on cancer aims at longterm survival, not cure

Scientists want to 'take away the fear' by halting mutation of cells, even in advanced cases

Leading scientists are embarking on a new war against cancer, aimed not necessarily at curing it but at turning it into a condition that people can live with.

The world-renowned Institute of Cancer Research is launching what it calls the first-ever "Darwinian" cancer programme. Just as with antibiotics, they say, cancers can evolve to become resistant to the drugs used to treat them. Cancer cells that are not killed off by chemotherapy or even immunotherapy will eventually mutate and adapt to form new tumours. The cancer returns in metastatic or advanced form, often elsewhere in the body, and is usually fatal.