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By DAPHNE HUTCHINSON
Rappahannock Nfw* Staff Writer
Scientists pursue a cure for cancer with the fervor of a Ponce De Leon searching for the fountain of youth or an ancient alchemist looking for the magic formula for gold. And while they've failed so far in finding the one answer to the cancer riddle, that dramatic advance the public holds its breath for, medical explorers have stretched life expectancy with many forms of the disease from months into precious years.
Hardly a week passes without the national press announcing another cancer breakthrough. Medical researchers have chipped away, tunneled under and climbed over the wall of death that once went up with every diagnosis of cancer. The wall still stands but there are millions of survivors who have struggled across.
According to the American Cancer Society’s 1980 "Facts and Figures,” over 3 million Americans are alive today who have a history of cancer, 2 million of them diagnosed five or more years ago. The medical profession is still leary of the word "cured” and so they use “remission” instead but most of those 2 million can be considered cured.
Today one out of three cancer patients will be longterm survivors and the outlook for most types of cancer is steadily improving.
"Medical science is making tremendous strides,” said Dr. Jerry Martin, partner with Dr. Werner Krebser at the Rappahannock Medical Center. As a general practitioner, Martin said he doesn’t keep up with all the latest developments in treatment of cancer. Instead, he refers clinic patients to experts in the Field who plan the method of attacking the disease and then leave the clinic with battle plans for following through on treatment.
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