World Cancer Day Is Coming Up, And Colorado Doctor Says Now's An Exciting Time For Research

(CBS4) - World Cancer Day is coming up on Feb. 4. It's a way for the entire world to unite to fight cancer.

Dr. Gerald Falchook is the director of the Sarah Cannon Research Institute at HealthONE, which researches cutting-edge cancer treatments through clinical trials. He says now is an exciting time for cancer research.

"Every year, many new drugs are approved by the FDA for the treatment of cancer and these are leading to patients living longer with cancer, and in some cases more patients being cured from cancer. These advances are possible because of all the hard work done in the lab to discover better treatments for cancer, and then to design clinical trials for us to learn more about how well these drugs work," he said during an interview on CBSN Denver.

Early detection is key to prevention. Falchook recommends a yearly checkup and says you should not let the pandemic get in the way of you getting the proper screenings.

"I know many, many people are a little bit fearful to see their physician, go to doctors' offices, or leave their house at all. Coronavirus is dangerous and everyone should be masking and taking all the appropriate distancing precautions, but I would strongly urge every patient to see their physician for their regular visits and not miss those important screenings.

"It could make the difference between an early stage cancer that's curable or an end stage cancer that unfortunately is incurable."