Miracle cures happen over decades, not overnight, if they happen at all. In the cancer war hopefulness itself becomes a kind of success, until a cure comes along. So far that's been Dr. Folkman's major contribution. He has reversed the conventional cancer wisdom that cancer cells must be destroyed with chemotherapy and radiation. These treatments have terrible side effects and uncertain outcomes.
Cancer cells can become resistant to attack.
Instead of trying to destroy cancer cells, he focused on preventing them from getting nourishment. He theorized that cancer cells had the ability to stimulate the formation of blood vessels, a process called angiogenesis. If this process could be stopped, so would cancer growth. For years this notion was considered heretical and Dr. Folkman was often ostracized as a surgeon who didn't understand the rules of laboratory research. He was convinced, however, that his experience in the operating room gave him insight into cancer growth that eluded researchers who never left the laboratory.