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Health

A political take on cancer provides a tough but much-needed analysis

Nafis Hasan's Metastasis is a deep dive into the economics and politics of cancer treatment. This makes for a dense and difficult read, but one that is well worth the effort

By Karmela Padavic-Callaghan

9 April 2025

The new AILIS machine tests for breast cancer detection during a clinical trial in Krakow, Poland, on December 30, 2024. AILIS is an innovative approach to breast cancer detection, developed by Michal Matuszewski. It uses Parametric Dynamic Imaging (PDI) and artificial intelligence to distinguish areas of increased activity from normal tissue, enabling the identification of cancerous lesions. Clinical trials currently take place in collaboration with the National Oncology Institute in Krakow. Upon successful results, the technology is expected to enter the Polish market first, followed by expansion into Europe. Poland has the highest breast cancer mortality rate in the EU, with early-stage detection standing at only 41%. (Photo by Klaudia Radecka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The war on cancer continues, with new tech such as this AILIS breast-screening machine

Klaudia Radecka/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Metastasis
Nafis Hasan (Common Notions)

In 2000, then-US president Bill Clinton said: “It is now conceivable that our children’s children will know the term cancer only as a constellation of stars.” A quarter of a century later, cancer is far from banished to the celestial realm. In fact, cancer deaths are predicted to nearly double globally by 2050, and cases are rising in the under-50s across many different tumour types.

Clinton made his prediction at an event celebrating the mapping of…

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