The Problems with Naming Cancers Based on Organ of Origin

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This chapter discusses the problems caused by naming cancers according to where they originate in the body. It highlights issues with clinical trials and access to treatment, as well as the challenge of training and education. The chapter argues for classifying cancer based on molecular features to address these problems.

For over a century, cancer has been classified by areas of the body - lung cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer etc. And yet modern medical research is telling us that the molecular and genetic mechanisms behind cancers are not necessarily tied to parts of the body. Many drugs developed to treat metastatic cancers have the capacity to work across many different cancers, and that presents an opportunity for more tailored and efficient treatments. Oncologists are calling for a change in the way patients, clinicians and regulators think about naming cancers.

In this podcast, senior comment editor Lucy Odling-Smee speaks with Fabrice André from Institute Gustave Roussy, to ask what he thinks needs to change.

Comment: Forget lung, breast or prostate cancer: why tumour naming needs to change

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