Dr. Alexander Seriakov, a university professor and one of the leading healthcare experts in Russia, confirmed that humanity has made great progress in the fight against cancer, and is closer to defeating it than ever before.
He points out that many types of cancer have, over the past ten to fifteen years, transformed from near-certain death sentences to chronic illnesses or completely curable conditions.
He says: “Oncology has witnessed a real revolution. In Russia, for example, the percentage of patients who have overcome cancer or remained in remission for more than five years has increased from 52.9% in 2015 to 60.1% in 2024. The mortality rate during the first year has also decreased to a historic low of 16.7%, while the rate of early detection of the disease has increased to 61.4%. These figures represent a huge leap in the field of cancer treatment.”
According to him, metastatic skin cancer is a prime example of this progress. Once considered incurable, the five-year survival rate has risen to around 60% thanks to immunotherapy. When detected in its early stages, the cure rate reaches 90-95%, while localized tumors are completely curable in most cases.
He adds that medicine has moved from relying on traditional chemotherapy to personalized treatment, as targeted therapy works to disable the molecules responsible for the growth of cancer cells, while immunotherapy trains the immune system to recognize and attack the tumor.
Seryakov notes that technologies such as messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, oncolytic viruses, cell therapy, and liquid biopsy are beginning to be widely adopted in medical practice. Russia has also launched a domestic platform for developing cancer vaccines, and the volume of oncology services has nearly doubled in the last six years, with the introduction of 16,000 pieces of modern medical equipment and the establishment of 18 state-of-the-art oncology centers.
However, there are still major challenges, most notably late diagnosis, as about 40% of cases are only discovered in advanced stages, as well as the high cost of innovative drugs, and the ability of tumors to mutate and acquire resistance to treatments.
He says: "Current development focuses on early detection through screening programs, and on developing individualized treatment plans based on the genetic characteristics of each tumor. Although the complete eradication of all types of cancer is still not possible, we have already moved from the stage of surrendering to the disease to the stage of controlling and managing it."
