Possible cancer cure found

Today's News Flash Fiction - Sunday, February 7, 2010

"CANCER patients are offering themselves as human guinea pigs as researchers investigate a possible cure for cancer found in north Queensland rainforests.

Scientists have identified a compound in the fruit of the native blushwood shrub that appears to "liquefy and destroy cancer with no side-effects", according to latest research.

Found deep in the remnants of a 130 million-year-old rainforest, the fruit extract may yet hold the secret antidote to Australia's No.1 killer disease."

The story

"Dr. Stringer, this is Elly McDaniel."

John Stringer put down his eye glasses and leaned back in his leather chair. It had been a long day - three bone marrow transplants alone! Before he would head home he had calls to return. Elly was one of his terminal patients. These were the toughest ones.

"Hi Elly, what can I do for you?" He had learned long ago that asking a terminally ill cancer patient how they are doing was the wrong response.

"I know you probably hear these kinds of things all the time, Dr. Stringer, but I read an article that in Australia they found that the fruit of the blushwood tree cures cancer. Is there any truth to this?"

Hmm, this would be a tough call. "Well Elly, yes, I read some of the news articles as well. We've had this discussion before. There are many promising strategies to cure cancer, but they take time to develop, to prove that really are effective, to go through safety testing."

"Yes, but they tested it on dogs and it dissolved tumors the size of coke cans! This stuff must really work!"

"Well Elly," and he rubbed his temples as he squeezed his eyes shut, "believe me, in the world of cancer research, I hear all of the promising leads. This does sound wonderful, but there are several caveats, and they are all the cruellest kind.

First, it's a bush that only grows in a rainforest in Australia. The supply is limited. They have only tested on animals so far. They are going to begin testing on humans, and believe me, they have more than enough volunteers in Australia for this. Cancer is the number one disease cause of death there.

Second, the trials will take about a year. Third, if they prove effective, they need to start mass producing the drug, which probably means growing a lot more of these fruit and refining them. It may take several years."

There was a long pause.

"I see. So I shouldn't bother booking a flight to Australia."

"No, in your condition it's probably not a good idea."

"So I'm going to die."

"We are all going to die eventually Elly. Unfortunately you have an advanced stage of cancer that has spread through your body. Even if the treatment was available today, I'm not sure it could be targetted to all parts of your body that it has spread. From what I've read, this seems a treatment that works on targeting specific tumors. But I think there is great hope for future generations. I think sadly it's just coming too late for you."

"I see."

"I'm really sorry Elly. What you're going through is very difficult, and-"

The phone clicked on the other end.

"Elly? Elly?"

Yep, this was the hardest part of his day.

***