Remarkable that a creature so long ago had a form of cancer similar to my own, and that it occurred in the same place, though the opposite limb. (Femurs, the largest bone, are where it shows up.) Being a human in 2019 means that after having my leg amputated a year ago I have a slight chance of surviving. Obviously, it wasn't an option for the unfortunate Pappochelys. At the same time, I envy it and anyone lacking the consciousness to conceive of its approaching mortality.
completeandtotalloser.blogspot.com
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Oncologist and researcher Siddhartha Mukherjee's "The Emperor of All Maladies", talks about the long, unrecognized presence of cancer. It is a brilliant book. I read it during my second go-round with cancer, when the book first came out in 2011. It was on the NYT's Best Seller List for years. Have just completed 34 rounds of radiation treatment, on my third. Outcome unknown for 3-6 months.
WHY ARE WE NO FURTHER AHEAD in the prevention, treatment (am waiting for a persuasive argument on this front) and eventual eradication of cancer, given the GAZILLION dollars spent every year, on research etc.?????
My political satire Twitter account @MissMyrtle2, is currently suspended for too many anti-Putin/Russia tweets (that is a whole other story) but I will be tweeting up a storm about us still being in the Ice Age of Cancer Research as soon as it is up and running again. BTW, this is a fascinating article.
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@Miss Myrtle The rant is not well formulated. No further ahead of what? But in brief: Because there are many types of cancer. Basic research is expensive. Many treatments exist for many cancers and survival rates have gone up.
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@Miss Myrtle
Please access this short video about the topic. Hope it can help you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2rR77VsF5c
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Although I'm not a scientist my idea that lethal juvenile cancer played an essential role in animal evolution was published in a journal and my book "Cancer Selection" which amplified the idea was favorably reviewed in Nature.
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Years ago I worked at the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology in the Mammal department. One of the (many) interesting things was occasionally finding specimens with disease or healed injuries. I had hoped to figure out what caused the bone deformities that I found, but day-to-day work mostly prevented that. This find was quite amazing. There are a few other fossils of this type that I've read about, but not many, and none so old.
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Poor guy. All alone in the Triassic with cancer and nowhere to go for help. (Pretty much like an American without health insurance today.)
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