The American Cancer Society has an important function. It directs many of the public relations campaigns that seek funding for more cancer research. While the distribution of information about cancer research may seem rather simple, the American Cancer Society has faced at least one real challenge. That challenge occurred in Houston, Texas, some time in the first part of the 1970's.

At that time the researchers at M.D. Andersen Cancer Center had released headline-grabbing findings. Researchers in the lab of Dr. Charles Shaw had studied a particular enzyme, an enzyme found in the body of some people. That enzyme could, as found by the M.D. Andersen scientists, metabolize certain chemicals, causing them to produce lung cancer. Scientists called the enzyme AHH. 

Following the release of those findings, large crowds gathered outside of M.D. Andersen Cancer Center. The people in that crowd thought that they could be tested for their susceptibility to lung cancer. M. D. Andersen officials consulted with personnel at the American Cancer Society. With the Society's help, the authorities at M.D. Andersen managed to clarify the earlier statement regarding the AHH-related research.

That incident cautioned researchers everywhere about the danger of a giving a false spin to information about research findings. One research associate, a woman who heard about the problems at M.D. Andersen, discovered that it is also possible to hold back the release of important information. That former research associate would like to send a message to the American Cancer Society.

That message to the American Cancer Society concerns new procedures, procedures that could provide help to patients with bladder cancer. It is now possible to fashion a new bladder, using cells that have been grown in the lab. In that way, a person treated for bladder cancer could get a working bladder. The cells are grown on a special material, one that expands, just like a real bladder.

The idea is to obtain a sample of the patient's cells, and to grow a bladder using those "starter cells." Still, some doctors have spoken with the American Cancer Society about the possibility that the surgeon might miss every one of the bladder's cancer cells. No one would want to grow more cancer cells, and to give a patient a bladder with cancer cells.

The American Cancer Society should educate physicians about a way to check for the presence of bladder cancer cells. Those cells produce a chemical called fibronectin. By looking for that fibronectin, lab personnel could determine whether or not to prolong the growth in culture of a group of bladder cells. Cell clusters that produced lots of fibronectin would be apt to contain at least some cancer cells.

If the American Cancer Society could distribute that information, then patients who wanted a new bladder would stand a better chance of getting one without any bladder cancer cells. Physicians would thus be eager to help their patients get one of the new "made in the laboratory" bladders.