New cancer classification system shows promise as lifesaver

Classifying cancer tumors by their molecular structure rather than the tissue or organ where they were found, such as the breast or bladder, may lead to more accurate diagnoses and potentially better treatments and outcomes for patients, a new study finds. …

“The old system classifying cancer by the tissue of where it arose is outdated. It’s been in existence for over 100 years now, and we know it doesn’t merit the true nature of the cancer,” said Dr. Christopher Benz, a professor at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato and co-senior author of the study.

This makes such good sense I’m surprised it wasn’t done at least a decade ago. In fact, I’d thought cancer classification had been redone a decade or more ago, but maybe that was just some cancertologist saying it should be done.