No one should die from cancer, much less lose their vision.

That statement expresses a powerful hope: that people shouldn’t have to suffer or die from diseases like cancer, and that losing something as fundamental as vision feels especially tragic.

From a medical perspective, cancer and vision loss are still major challenges, but there has been significant progress. Many cancers that were once almost always fatal are now treatable or even curable in some cases, and advances in screening, targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and gene-based treatments continue to improve outcomes. Similarly, treatments for some causes of blindness and severe vision impairment have improved dramatically through surgery, medications, retinal implants, and emerging gene therapies.

At the same time, millions of people worldwide still face cancer diagnoses and vision loss because current medicine has limits, access to care is uneven, and some diseases remain difficult to prevent or treat.

If you’re reflecting on this in a personal way—perhaps because of someone affected by cancer or vision loss—I’m happy to talk more about what’s on your mind.