Cancer Research At National Jewish

What is Cancer?

Cancer is a devastating disease that can affect virtually any tissue in the body.  It is particularly insidious because one’s own cells become the enemy.  This happens when the DNA inside a cell’s nucleus is mutated by age, toxins, viruses, or just bad luck (some people may be genetically predisposed to developing certain forms of cancer).  When the ‘right genes’ are affected, such as those that help slow cell growth and proliferation (tumor suppressor genes), or those that speed up this process (oncogenes), then that cell becomes abnormal in its functioning and in its growth and proliferation: thus the birth of the essentially immortal tumor. 

What is National Jewish’s Role in the Fight Against Cancer?

At National Jewish Medical and Research Center immunologists, cell biologists and medical doctors study cancer in the laboratory.  We do not treat cancer, nor do we conduct clinical trials.  Rather, our scientists participate in fundamental studies of the processes of the body to gain better understanding of how the body protects against the development of cancer or allows it to occur.  We investigate cancer at its most basic levels striving to provide the most complete understanding of the function of cells, tissues and organs in both normal and diseased states.

National Jewish’s research programs are highly acclaimed.  Although the size of our faculty is comparatively small, the impact of our discoveries is often cited by scientists around the world.  For example, out of thousands of academic institutions and pharmaceutical corporations, National Jewish is ranked 12th in the world for influential research in molecular biology and genetics, 15th for biology and biochemistry research, and 22nd for immunology research (The Scientist, March 2004.)  

The first step to breakthrough treatments will come from scientists focusing on basic questions of cancer biology.  Our researchers study the mechanisms of the human body with the belief that they may lead to novel treatments (such as vaccines) for a variety of cancers.  Current research projects include studies of breast, skin, colon, blood and cervical cancers.

Click to see the fundamental questions about cancer that National Jewish scientists are striving to answer.

Why Is Cancer Research So Important?

Though chemotherapy, radiation and other cancer treatments have improved in the last 20 years, they vary in effectiveness and no cure for the wide variety of cancers exists.  Clearly, there is still a great need to further understand how and why cancer develops, and what can be done to stop it once it occurs. 

Consider the following statistics from the American Cancer Society:

• About 1,372,910 new cancer patients in the U.S. will be diagnosed in 2005 (which does not include people with basal and squamous cell skin cancers).
  
• Though mortality rates have dropped, cancer is now the number one cause of death in people under 85 in this country.  This year approximately 570,280 people (1,500 per day) will die from cancer.
  
• The National Institutes of Health estimated that in 2004 cancer cost this country $189.8 billion ($69.4 billion in direct medical costs and $120.4 billion in lost productivity due to illness and premature death).
  
• Approximately 211,240 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to occur this year.  It is estimated that more than 40,000 women will die of the disease this year.
  
• It is estimated that 232,090 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year; about 30,350 men will die from it.
  
• Childhood cancers are rare.  Despite its rarity, cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children age 1-14.  About 9,510 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in children 14 and under this year; about 1,585 children will die of cancer. 
  
• Leukemia is diagnosed in adults 10 times more often than in children.  Approximately 34,810 new cases will be diagnosed in 2005, with an estimate of 22,570 deaths this year.
  
• About 104,950 new cases of colon cancer and 40,340 cases of rectal cancer are expected to be diagnosed this year.  An estimated 56,290 men and women will die from these diseases this year.
  
• About 172,570 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed this year.  Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in men and women.  Approximately 163,510 Americans will die from lung cancer this year.