[chrisy]

Let me include a disclaimer, I did not see the program and am completely ignorant! Which doesn't necessarily preclude me from putting 2 cents in (just ask my boss!).

True, there are horrendous barriers to researching rarer cancers - the profit motive isn't there, as you say, but also there are challenges related to just not enough cases to study. On the other hand, there is some motivation to research less treatable conditions because it is "easier" to get approval since any reasonable degree of efficacy is better than no options. That last point, I've heard but do not have data to support it. Note tho, that many of the treatments currently being studied for use in breast cancer (avastin, iressa, etc) were initially approved for other cancers.

So the good thing is, the direction of research has been changing FROM trying to find treatments or cures for cancer of the breast/bowel/lung/whatever body part TO seeking to understand and attack the cancer based on the biology of the cancer cells themselves - such as blocking Her2 signalling (herceptin) or angiogenesis (avastin). These types of biological activities are what makes cancer cells - any cancer cells - grow. So, cancer cells of many types may respond to a given treatment.