I realize that you do the best you can with what you have to work with at the time. However, I am pleased to report, the scorched earth era of a chemotherapy drug designed to kill everything in its path in attempting to wipe out cancer -- might finally be coming to an end.

At present, pharmaceutical companies are carrying out clinical trials on approximately 400 cancer drugs, many with a targeted ability to kill cancer cells without damaging healthy cells in the process. And that my friends, is progress.

It's about time. Before I was diagnosed with cancer, I had little idea about how generalized cancer treatments were, or how medieval I would come to view them when I discovered what the oncology team had to offer. Frankly, I was disappointed and began to understand the disillusionment that motivated cancer patients to seek alternative therapies. I really expected, living in the 21st century, much more in the way of specialized targeted cancer drugs.

It wasn't the fault of the oncology team -- you really can only work with the tools you are given. With 400 cancer drugs now in clinical trials, I am beginning to get the sense we might be headed in the right direction. To a place I imagined we had already arrived.