Cancer Treatment

Scientists are working to better understand the role of oncogenes and suppressor genes in the development of cancer. This knowledge could lead to new ways of controlling cancer cells. Scientists have developed tests that show if individuals have certain defective genes. But experts disagree about when such tests should be offered. In most cases, doctors cannot yet use these tests to treat or prevent cancer. Some experts question the value of telling people that they have a damaged gene when this knowledge carries little benefit. But researchers hope that genetic tests may one day make it possible to prevent cancer or to detect the disease in its earliest stages.