Slashdot Mirror
Brain Tumor Vaccine Shows Promising Results
ScienceDaily is reporting that a new vaccine used in the treatment of a cancer found primarliy in the brain is showing promising results after an initial trial at the University of California. "Of the 12 patients being treated, eight can currently be evaluated for overall survival, while four are still receiving treatment. Seven out of the eight patients have exceeded the historical median benchmark of 6.5 months survival from time of recurrence. The investigators will continue to follow the patients for overall survival. Based on these results, a larger, multi-center phase 2 study is planned for late 2007."
I used to hang out on irc a lot, on efnet#california. Still do, occasionally. People often come in and ask stupid questions like "what is the weather like in California?" Given that California has literally every type of terrain except for Tundra, and runs North-South for quite some distance, this is simply retarded. It would be like asking what the weather was like in Europe or something. Similarly, claiming that something occurred at the "University of California" is, well, just wrong. Unless it's an edict handed down applying to the entire UC system.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
I was just thinking lastnight. We have spent just shy of one trillion dollars in Iraq and Afghanistan, not even considering the money spent elsewhere to fight supposed terrorism.
In that same time, I wonder how much we have spent on cancer research? I wonder if a trillion dollars in research money right now would find a cure for many of the major cancers (and in turn, surely provide insight for many of the other cancers and other diseases that could be related or benefit from things we learn through curing cancer).
Why don't we put forth the same heroic visionary goal for our entire society that we put for going to the moon forty years ago and "smokin' out ter'ists" these last six years? Not to mention, curing cancer is something we could definitely get other nations involved in so the amount of research and money involved would surely be much greater.
I am just baffled that in 2007 we are so eager to throw our money away on so many ridiculous things and so many unproven things and so many things that only serve to kill or anger other people who will then want to kill us in turn... but if we were to propose spending an enormous amount of money on curing a horrible disease for the betterment of all of mankind for now and forever, you'd be called a Utopian idealist fucking hippy or something.