Editor, Times-Union: My great-aunt Jesse died from breast cancer years ago. Even though it isn’t the deadliest cancer, it receives a lot of attention. Pink ribbons and pink football shoes in the NFL show public concern and promote contributing for the cure. I have offered possible cures for this cancer and others for years for research. But when I approach breast cancer groups with possible cures, they show more interest in money than saving lives now. Dr. Coley in Baltimore discovered during the late 19th century that if a terminal cancer patient were infected with a staph infection, the body’s immune system would fight the infection and the cancer simultaneously. Since the body’s temperature would rise and cancer often can’t survive this, over 70 percent of Dr. Coley’s patients walked out of the hospital cured. Today we call using an infection to fight cancer immunotherapy. Genetic manipulation would make cancer cells either more vulnerable to treatment or reverted back into normal calls. Antibodies could be turned into targeted antibodies to fight specific cancers. Genetic referencing of healthy cells would allow treatments to recognize cancer cells and doctors to use stem cells to reconstruct the body. Genetic overloading of cancer cells could make them incapable of reproducing and would eventually kill them. Further in the future, biosynthetic reconstruction of the body and micromachines will eliminate cancer. A secondary immune system might be developed to supplement the primary immune system to prevent it from attacking the body. Over 30 years ago I wanted to talk about possible cures for cancer on live national TV. But the man before me kept talking until the program ended. The man was more interested in his moment of fame than saving countless lives. It’s frustrating hearing about “new” cancer treatments that I talked about 30 years ago. Years ago on “60 Minutes” there was a report about people doing cancer research in the Houston area. Those who didn’t do “approval” cancer research were shut down by the Houston medical community. If stem cells can be used to reconstruct the body, doctors should use them to save lives. Immunotherapy has been successful for well over a century, but doctors still favor using poisons and radiation. I can imagine how frustrating it is for other medical researchers to have their work hindered when they could be saving lives. Billions have been spent on cancer research. Cancer cures would stop the funding gravy train. I hate to think that fundraising is more important than saving lives. But too often it seems to be the case. Rick Badman Warsaw
