Scientists say they are on the verge of developing a greater number of treatments for cancer that are more efficient and less toxic, by specifically targeting tumors using genetic analysis. Pictured is cancer patient Terry Meyer, who reads a book while receiving chemotherapy treatment on June 21, 2006 in San Francisco. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Cancer is still the second most common cause of death in the U.S., behind heart disease. But for many types of cancer, the mortality rate is declining. Scientists say they are on the verge of developing a greater number of treatments for cancer that are more efficient and less toxic, by specifically targeting tumors using genetic analysis.

“We’ve already developed dozens of new drugs that are not like the carpet bombing of chemotherapy,” Dr. Edward Benz, president of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, told Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson. “They’re much more like smart bombs.”

• Related: Scientists Develop New Ways To Tailor Cancer Treatment

Guest

• Edward Benz, MD, president of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and principal investigator of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. He’s also a clinical hematologist and an active NIH-funded investigator.