What does solving cancer mean? Stopping any and all mutations from happening? Seems like a pretty tall order.

I guess being able to scan each and every cell for the cancerous mutation is also a possible solution, but also a tall order.

▲

creepypastor an hour ago | parent | next [-]

Solving cancer means invent the technology to ensure no or few people die from cancer. For example you invent a technique for whole body scans that almost always catches cancer and you scan everyone every 6 months. Then cancer is solved technologically although rolling out the scanners is very hard and not solved yet.

▲

satellites 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I'll assume you're asking in good faith. You don't have to prevent mutations or scan every cell in the human body to "solve" cancer. You can:

- make detection easier and cheaper (e.g. with less invasive biopsies)

- make treatment easier and cheaper (e.g. more precise targeted treatments, making chemo a last resort instead of the only option)

Among other things. There's even emerging research that certain types of cancers could be "vaccinated" against: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-02612-3

	▲	lotsofpulp an hour ago \| parent [-]
		>- make detection easier and cheaper (e.g. with less invasive biopsies) How is this different than scanning every cell in the body? You can get rid of the cancer cells you can (easily) detect, but the lengthy chemo/immuno therapy is to catch the few cancer cells that might have gotten away, even though it will harm the body in other ways. The vaccine possibility sound pretty cool, but my understanding of cancer is that it is a ton of different diseases with different pathologies that require different solutions. Therefore “a” solution to cancer is not really realistic.

▲

UltraSane 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

It means being able to stop any uncontrolled cell replication.