In most parts of the world, cancer is still one of the top causes of mortality. The impact of cancer-related mortality and morbidity on health-care systems and socioeconomic development is a pressing issue in both emerging and industrialized countries with ageing populations. Although our understanding of cancer genes has vastly advanced in the last three decades, this has not translated into comparable advantages for cancer patients. Indeed, greater survival is more often due to early discovery or prevention than to better therapy. Furthermore, the efficacy of traditional cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy has reached a plateau in the treatment of many malignancies, including colon, prostate, ovarian, lung, and cervical cancers, and new approaches are needed to enhance outcomes.
