I was at the vet's, and the doctor and I were talking about nutrition (he's gone a lot more naturopathic than he used to be ten years ago) versus disease.

In a sort of idle way, he looked at me and said something like "Doesn't it seem kind of funny that after all these years and all the millions and billions of dollars spent on research, they still can't cure cancer or even the common cold? Do you think they might know the answers and be hiding it? Do you think that the medical field could be so callous that they realize that they make more money off sick people than well ones?"

Actually, I've wondered about things like that. But then I thought, No, it's just the same suspicious and cynical Me.

Or... maybe it's not?

Sue

Hi Susan

I think you should have every right to be cynical about the medical industry. I think after that after that other industry, which creates ever more creative ways of killing people, that being the war/defence industry, the medical industry, which purports to save the lives of people, follows up a close second in terms of overall turnover. There is very little profit in ways of naturopathy. The actual facts are as follows,

The main correlation (in a statistical sense) in determining levels of premature death within a population is the individuals level of income. No one wants to talk about this issue though, no politicians, no doctors, only the actuaries for insurance companies who are bound by company secrecy. Poverty and the unfair distribution of incomes is the determining factor for disease. The rest are just consequences to this main issue.

Example, if you want to cure lung cancer and vascular disease, then ban tobacco smoking or at least make it extremely expensive . But tobacco smoking is a consequence of social stress and poverty. The tobacco industry has to much of a vested political interest for a ban to be put in place. Same with drug abuse and alcohol abuse. Cheap processed food consumption is again determined by income levels leading to obesity, which leads to vascular disease and diabetes and premature death. Social stress caused by poverty and the associated problems such as mental health are just seen by the medical industry as a means to sell their wears, just like the tobacco and alcohol businesses. Stressed out! Hmm what to have, will it be a medically prescribed Valium or 20 Benson and Hedges and a bottle of Vodka or some twinky bars and some Ritalin?

If you want to live a contented and happy healthy life with few medical problems, ask an actuary. He will just tell you not to be poor. Ignorance doesn't help either, but again that is mainly a function of poverty once more.

Healthy cynicism keeps the doctor away, much like an apple a day (if only if it wasn't covered in pesticides).

Doesn't sound too cynical to me. After all, sick people need lots of expensive medication, outrageously priced medical tests, etc, etc. Sick is big business. I personally think the body is like an amazing high performance automobile. You put in crappy, cheap fuel and it'll run like crap and eventually start to break down prematurely. Give it premium fuel and the results are pretty amazing. Just look at most of the food in the grocery store. Bread shouldn't have 30 ingredients, most of which you can't even pronounce.

Yeah, it's cynical, but understandable. In general, people do not understand the incredibly small scale of what happens at the cellular level or the difficulty of detecting and understanding what goes on at those levels. For example, say the work "protein" and what do you think? Just some generalized idea of some really small biological thing, right? Without the right training, it's hard to imagine that a protein is a family of thousands of differently shaped molecules, which act like lego blocks. Each protein is shaped differently, and can move, fold or bend differently when combined together. They can't be seen in a microscope. Their shapes historically have been worked out by x-ray crystallography and interactions figured out by indirect observation and logical induction.

What I found when I went and studied it was that the tools to see and represent what goes on at that scale of matter are even now fairly basic. To me, it's really amazing that we are as far along as we are. It's a credit to the power of the scientific method that the actions of many diseases and drugs are the result of simple observation of many thousands of many individual cases over time.

You've got a point... and not. You ever stop to think how many actual viral diseases medicine can cure?

Zero.

Cancers? Actually, some can be cured, some of those quite easily. But the fact is, there's probably close to 100 different cancers (and well over 150 viruses that cause the cold). Since each one is a bit different, it's impossible for a "one size fits all."

And, yup, if you're poor, you'll die younger. Is that a consequence of being poor, less access to health care, healthy life styles? It's not a topic avoided by doctors. But they sure can't go out and make the ghetto rich, so why worry about it? That's a problem for society, NOT medicine.

However, the one thing I try so I can avoid the hospital later in life: avoid their cafeteria

I've thought along the same lines from time to time, but then I remember that human lifespans keep increasing at a pretty good clip, so we must be doing something right. I don't think it is some big vast conspiracy that is preventing progress. Rather, it's the lack of an incentive. There is more money to be made for scientists doing research than there is finding a remedy. Nothing against the people working in the field--it's just that the system is set up that way.

I guess a good way to tell would be to cut off all government funding for cancer research and instead offer a $100 billion reward for a cure. If a blanket cure for cancer is really out there somewhere that ought to shake it loose. I don't personally think there is but I'd like to be wrong.

Having worked in cancer research for over 30 years at the NCI-Frederick located on Ft. Detrick, I can say without any reservation there is no conspiracy to hide or prevent effect cancer prevention, treatment or cures from reaching the public. You must keep in mind that cancer is not a single disease; its causes are due to various origins and influences. One’s genetics’, lifestyle and environment all play key roles in the whether one will or will not develop cancer. There are cancers that are spontaneous in nature, caused by exposure to environmental agents and even ones caused by viruses and bacteria. Since cancer is not a single disease caused by one factor, a “universal” cure is not possible.

Social-economic status also plays a role both in the development of cancer, detection and treatment of cancer. Short of prevention with healthily a life-style and good genes, early detection and treatment remains the best option for remission and/or cure.

Cancers such as childhood leukemia, once a death sentence have reached very high cure rates. There are literally dozens of other cancers, which in recent years have obtained the same high cure rates.

A little more then 3 weeks ago, I insisted my wife who had turned 50 this past year, get both endoscopy and colonoscopy exams. The doctor removed several polyps, one of which he expressed some concern over in terms of its shape. Sure enough when the histopathology report came back it was cancerous. She had as second colonoscopy that week so he could tattoo the site for easy detection by the surgeon who removed a section of her colon a little more then a week ago. Her recovery has gone extremely well and barring detection of cancer having spread to the area lymph nodes, she will have been “cured” by the early detection and subsequent surgical removal of the cancer. There were several key factors in this successful outcome, early detection (everyone of you who is approaching 50 or have reached that golden age (if you have a family history of colon cancer then it is 40), must immediately schedule yourself or a loved one for a colonoscopy – TODAY - I think I ask very little from you guys and gals, this is one thing I beg you to do - TODAY), an excellent gastroenterologist and surgeon. Last but not least, family and friends who provided a support network and offered many prayers from many religious traditions.

You want to be a survivor, then get the appropriate health screening for your age today, no excuses

Pete

I'm corn-fused.

Why would they spend billions of dollars and many years developing a cure for cancer, find it, and THEN decided to hide it? Or did they spend the billions of dollars to find something they intended to hide anyway?

Better check your tinfoil hat liner. I still can't decide if I should wear it on the outside of my hat to prevent them from reading my mind or on the inside to prevent them from controlling my thoughts.

I think medicine has pretty good job security in any case. If you cure cancer, you're heart disease business is going to skyrocket! You gotta get sick and die from something eventually.

Yup. Statistically speaking,none of us is likely to get out of this alive.

I just had to respond to this. Long time reader, infrequent poster. If this turns into a rant, I apologize in advance. I have been in medicine for 30 years as a paramedic, RN, and now physician. I have been in clinical medicine (taking care of sick people) and in research. While there may be a few bad apples, like any industry, folks in medicine by and large devote large parts of there life to helping others have as good and long a life as possible.

We spend millions on research and medicine has had results. Just look at the mortality rate decrease of heart disease and cancers. BUT research shows us avoiding tobacco (in all forms harmful), weight control and daily exercise ALL contribute to less disease, longer and better lives. It just requires the person to do something; I can’t just prescribe a pill. (If I could, you would still have to take it)

Just because it’s natural, don’t mean it’s safe or effective. You can take willow bark for a fever; aspirin is safer and more predictable. Many current meds and therapies have grown out of folk cures.

We do have something to treat certain viral illnesses effectively – vaccines, just look at the fire storm over many of these.

Sorry for the rant, but I hear many of these complaints daily from my overweight smokers who “forget” to take their pills and wonder why they don’t feel well.