I think that there is a lot of intrigue when it comes to cancer research because the possibilities, to say the least, are tremendous. There are many stories which can come about and one in particular has seized my attention for a number of reasons. I never would have thought that the polio virus would have been able to have a part on this matter. After reading about Stephanie Lipscomb and her diagnosis, though, I think it is safe to say that my mindset has shifted.

ABC News wrote an article about Lipscomb, who began to feel discomfort when she was in college. When her freshman year was wrapping up, she went to check out what the pain was about and she learned that she had glioblastoma, the most common type of tumor seen within the brain. The growth, which was located behind her eye, was removed but it soon resurfaced two years later. It wasn't until much later that a new method was suggested and it would prove to be unique, to say the least.

Lipscomb's neurologist suggested a new clinical trial once her tumor resurfaced a couple of years later after the initial surgery. Polio would be injected and, according to neurologist Dr. Annick Desjardins, it would go into the cancer cells and destroy them from within. The reason why Lipscomb was able to utilize this procedure while other patients could not was because of where the tumor was located. Seeing as how her growth was on the right frontal lobe, she didn't have to worry about language or vision being impacted.

Despite the initial risk which seemed to be visible with this particular method, the results have been tremendous. The article said that Lipscomb's tumor decreased from the size of a tennis ball to that of a pea, which is a great improvement in the field of cancer research. Lipscomb was the first patient who made use of this and it seems like the survival rate has been made much better as a result, seeing as how she was initially going to have five more years. The increased rate deserves to be noted by organizations like Voices against Brain Cancer.

As you can tell, there is much to learn about cancer research and we are uncovering more information on the matter day after day. It's clear that this is one of the more interesting stories because it has been able to take a virus not many would have considered and incorporate it for the sake of helping a patient. Of course there were concerns on the matter. However, they soon faded away once it was made clear just how well the virus in question was able to help Lipscomb.