T. Colin Campbell: Cancer: Is It Just Bad Luck or Failed Research?

The consequences of this mutation theory of cancer are deadly. Wrongly assuming that cancer is primarily a product of genetic mutations implies that cancer progression, once started, is unstoppable. It implies that cancer control will depend on identifying and selectively killing specific cancer cells and blocking their responsible genes with targeted drugs. This strategy has been and will continue to be futile because countless combinations of genes and cancer risk factors can change cancer development. Understanding and accepting this complexity means that funding research to identify new cancer drugs, especially targeted drugs with certain but unpredictable side effects is the wrong priority.