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Cancer care has come a long way

Over the years, advances in how experts prevent, detect and treat cancer have made care much better today. And experts are still working to find new and improved ways to fight the disease in the future.

Scroll on to learn some facts about cancer prevention, screening and treatment in the past, present and future.

Prevention: Then

Cancer and chimney soot. In 1775, English surgeon Percivall Pott found a high rate of scrotal cancer in chimney sweeps. It was one of the first times a substance (soot) had been linked to cancer. It set the stage for finding ways to prevent cancer.

Prevention: Now

Preventing cancer with healthy habits and cancer vaccines. We now know that many things may raise the risk of cancer. And we know that healthy choices (like not smoking, keeping a healthy weight and wearing sunscreen) may lower the risk. We even have a vaccine that helps prevent cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infections.

Prevention: Soon

Researchers seek new ways to prevent cancer. One approach might be drugs or vaccines that stop people with inherited cancer syndromes from getting cancer. And experts might find new ways to prevent cancer through changes in our daily habits.

Early detection: Then

The age of screening begins. In the 1960s, the Pap test became the first widely used cancer screening test. It can find both early cervical cancer and precancer, saving many lives. Modern mammography also emerged in the 1960s. It became widely used for breast cancer screening in the 1970s.

Early detection: Now

Routine tests screen for cancer. In addition to Pap tests and mammograms, cancer screenings today include colonoscopies for colorectal cancer, low-dose CT scans for lung cancer and the PSA blood test for prostate cancer.

Remember: Screening tests help spot cancer before you have symptoms. That is when treatment may work best. Ask your doctor which cancer screenings may be right for you.

Early detection: Soon

New ways to find cancer early. Scientists are testing new methods of detecting cancer early. Future screenings might help doctors find cancer by analyzing a person's breath, for example. Or they might use nanoparticles and imaging tests to help locate tumors.

Treatments: Then

From ancient surgeries to the first chemo cure. Cancer treatments evolved slowly from ancient times through the 19th century. Early surgeries were primitive and had a lot of complications. In the 1890s, surgeons developed the mastectomy for breast cancer. And radiation therapy followed the discovery of x-rays. New treatments emerged in the 20th century too. These included hormone therapy and chemotherapy.

Treatments: Now

More—and more effective—options for cancer treatment. Many advanced treatment options are available today. Among them:

• Targeted chemo drugs that are less likely to harm normal cells.
• Combinations of chemo drugs to fight cancer better.
• Immunotherapy, which uses the immune system to fight cancer.
• Precise radiation techniques that target tumors and lessen damage to normal tissues.
• Robotic systems that help surgeons remove many types of cancer.

Treatments: Soon

The future of cancer treatment looks bright. For instance, ongoing research is looking at cancer's molecular biology. It may yield more ways to target tumors with drugs. Future robotic surgery systems might make tumor removal even more precise and less invasive. And we could find new ways to ease treatment side effects and improve quality of life for those who have cancer.

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