Cancer continues to be the dreaded diagnosis, although treatment has improved year by year, and the number of cancer survivors has been growing. Researchers now tell us they have discovered effective vaccines for a few specific cancers. We haven't cured cancer by any means, but the odds for the survival of individual patients constantly improves.

The vaccines that surfaced in the news recently take on follicular lymphoma, melanoma, prostate and neuroblastoma cancers. They give victims of those kinds of cancer additional options.

Of course, there are many other kinds of cancer. There's much research yet to be done. And each person diagnosed with cancer has their own personal experience - some better or worse than others.

Likely we will see a combination of radiation, chemotherapy and surgery continuing as treatment modes for years to come as these new vaccines are refined. It means cancer patients will continue to need the love and support of families and friends. It means treatment will continue to be a heavy burden for many cancer patients.

The development of the cancer vaccines, still in the experimental stage, represent the fruits of a huge investment in medical research by the government, private groups and individuals. They has been a longtime coming. These vaccines, and other new treatments, cannot change the past, but for people diagnosed with forms of cancer in the future, it improves the effectiveness of treatment.

The investment in cancer research needs to continue until it can be treated or eradicated in all its forms.

To that end, the Relay for Live, a community-wide fundraiser walk for the American Cancer Society, will be held at Century High School this weekend. It starts at 5 p.m. Saturday and continues until 6 a.m. Sunday. Anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 people will take part in the walk and raise about $250,000 for cancer research.

Relay for Life has become one of the premier events in Bismarck-Mandan, in part, because of the way cancer has invaded the lives of members of families throughout the community, and how the event brings that community together.

All of the people who take part in the Relay for Life, or contribute to one of the teams, can take some direct credit for the research being done on cancer, and, hopefully, for the growing number of cancer survivors.

Cancer remains a tough foe, despite the progress made by researchers in its treatment. Let's relish the progress being made, then continue the work that still needs to be done. Finally, let's give the Relay for Life a boost.