3 ms·
Yeah, it feels like they're not different diseases at all, merely different dialects of the same disease (my words, a tad hand-wavey). I understand the need to
by VeejayRampay 11y ago
Yeah, it feels like they're not different diseases at all, merely different dialects of the same disease (my words, a tad hand-wavey). I understand the need to be precise about the wording and the willingness to not let people get their hopes up too much, but I feel that this "a bunch of different diseases" concept is introducing a whole slew of misconceptions in the mix as well.
- niels_olson 11y agoCancer is one disease like infectious disease is one disease. Some things we thought were different are now seen as similar (BRAF V600E, for example), but the genes and proteins involved are usually radically different, one to the next. If anything, it's striking that our morphological classifications have withstood genetic scrutiny at all.
- nkozyra 11y agoExcept that infectious diseases have innumerable, dissonant final effects on the body. Cancers all basically do the same thing to different parts of the body. Which is why the notion of cutting the symptom (uncontrolled, mutated, undying cells) can be considered.