Why Haven’t We Cured Cancer Yet? | Dr. Bob Liu Explains

Why haven’t we cured cancer yet? A Genentech scientist explains the real reason.

In this episode of BioTalk Unzipped, Gregory Austin and Dr. Chad Briscoe sit down with Dr. Bob Liu, Senior Principal Scientist at Genentech Roche, to unpack one of the most important and misunderstood questions in modern medicine.

This is a rigorous, scientifically grounded conversation on cancer biology, immunotherapy, and the real constraints shaping oncology drug development today.

Dr. Liu brings over a decade of experience across antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), bispecific antibodies, and CAR-T therapies, offering a rare, insider perspective on why a universal cure remains elusive and where meaningful progress is actually being made.

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What You’ll Learn

1. Why cancer is not one disease, but more than 200 biologically distinct conditions
2. What “curing cancer” actually means in clinical oncology
3. How immunotherapies like checkpoint inhibitors and CAR-T are changing outcomes
4. The biological limits of eliminating every cancer cell
5. How tumors evade immune detection and adapt over time
6. Why only about 20% of patients respond to immuno-oncology therapies
7. The role of biomarkers, molecular profiling, and precision medicine
8. Why early detection remains one of the biggest unsolved challenges
9. The economic and regulatory pressures shaping next-generation therapies

Key Insight

Cancer is not simply something to eliminate.

It is a dynamic, adaptive system evolving within the human body. The future of oncology is not just eradication, but control, personalization, and intelligent engagement of the immune system.

Notable Quotes

“Cancer is a collection of more than 200 diseases, each requiring its own specific approach.”

“The cure for some cancers is within reach, but for many others, early detection remains the critical challenge.”

“Our immune system is constantly surveilling. The key is learning how to harness it effectively.”

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

02:42 – Bob’s passion - AACR

04:28 – Why we haven’t cured cancer

07:09 – Defining a cancer cure

10:26 – Cancer classification and molecular signatures

14:16 – Methylation profiling in diagnosis

17:22 – Patient resources and navigation

21:14 – FDA shifts toward randomized trials for CAR-T

24:15 – Cost and access challenges

26:33 – Cancer vs cardiovascular disease progress

33:39 – The challenge of early detection

37:48 – Biomarker limitations

39:14 – Immune system dynamics in cancer

45:19 – Bioanalytical challenges in modern therapies

51:08 – Progress and future outlook

About the Guest

Dr. Bob Liu is a Senior Principal Scientist at Genentech Roche specializing in bioanalytical sciences and immunogenicity assessment for advanced oncology therapies, including T-cell bispecifics and CAR-T.

Resources & Links

FDA to tighten approval requirements for CAR-T therapies

https://www.raps.org/news-and-articles/news-articles/2025/12/fda-to-tighten-approval-requirements-for-car-t-cel

American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

https://www.aacr.org/

National Cancer Institute – Molecular diagnostics and biomarkers

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/diagnosis

Pattern recognition technologies in diagnostics

https://toby.health

Connect

Dr. Bob Liu

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-liu-42b8b278/

Dr. Chad Briscoe

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadbriscoe/

Gregory Austin

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregoryaustin1/

Final Thought

The path to curing cancer is not a single breakthrough. It is a long, complex progression of scientific advances, better diagnostics, and deeper biological understanding.

The progress is real.

But the work is far from finished.