Will we ever find a cure for Cancer?

[Jennifer_]

Last week, I was chit chatting with someone.

I was talking about a dcumentary I had watched about bottled water. The documentary made a pretty-significant impact on me and I am a tap water girl since I saw it.

One (of the many) messages the documentary presented was that plastic water bottles are carcinogenic.

So I was chit chatting with this gentleman ~ and low and behold... he is a cancer researcher.

Random chit chats like this throw me into ecstacy - so I picked his brain a wee bit.

He told me that he had already resolved himself to the fact that he'll die of cancer eventually - and he went on to explain how cancer grows and attacks the body. He taught me quite a few things I didn't know in our brief chat.

Yesterday I placed a picture on my Facebook in support of cancer surivers. It was just one of those chain posts - but it means something to me as there are people in my life who I care deeply for who are cancer surivers. Cancer has taken people I love from me. (As we know, most people in our society have been deeply affected by cancer).

A friend of mine sent me this video (which I had never seen before).

Now I've seen articles about naturalpathic medication for Alzheimers patients being more effective than traditional meds (or simply consuming Coconut Oil -which has no patent) Alzheimer's is another disease that touches me personally), I'm a big believer in using marijuana instead of prescription painkillers to deal with pain.... (it's not my cup of tea for recreational use but you better believe I'll make people I love give it a try if and when they are dealing with chronic pain instead of keeping mum when they are prescribed stuff like Oxy - well The replacement Oxy - whatever it's called....). Someone close to me recently had open heart surgery and I worry about what meds he's taking.... I don't trust Drug companies at all....

I've wanted to see a naturalpathic doctor for a long time... I'm skeptical about everything lately - especially when it comes to healthcare and food.

It's starting to really really depress me

The cancer reasearcher who I spoke with told me he didn't believe we'd ever find a cure for cancer because it's so difficult to pinpoint what causes cancer in an individual. He told me it takes 25 years for cancer to grow to the point of detection. I trust his opinion. But when I see a clip like this I can't help but question him, the government, doctors, etc. etc. etc.....

What do you think? Is there something we can do other than rely on those who are funded by the government (who may not be open to all options) or drug companies (who obviously are motivated by profit)? Am I turning into a conspiracy theorist who needs to stop paying attention to this kinda stuff?? (lol).

.... I'm sincerely interested in hearing what other people think. I want to do something - if not now - someday....

 

[danibbler]

Now, the loons will come out...

 

[Scarey]

Cancer is a business.....and business is good.There's far too much money to be made from "coping" drugs concerning cancer then an actual cure.i believe they have found a cure also.....but I'll not see in my life time.Same with the electric car.Just too much money being made from the alternatives and the powers that be have too much power and greed to let anything change the status quo.

 

[Rockslinger]

It's a long war but we are winning a few battles. One of my co-workers got the same cancer at the same age (45) as his father. His father died at age 46. My co-worker is now 60. Also, Jason Blake got a cancer that would have been fatal ten years ago.

Some cancers are lifestyle induced e.g. lung, cervix, etc.

 

[danibbler]

So, the conscionable thing to do is to drop all research into "coping" drugs and concentrate on a cure? So, potentially billions of people will suffer until they die while they wait for a cure?

Smart...

 

[blackrock13]

Considering the advancement in the last 50 years, the next 50 will be amazing. A cure for all cancers, I doubt as new ones will raise their ugly heads, but many will be a thing of the past.

 

[d_jedi]

I don't think there is any grand conspiracy to hide an already-existing proven cure for cancer.
That said, most private pharmaceutical companies probably won't follow promising leads if there is no hope of profit. Not that they're evil - just because they can't afford to invest tens of millions of dollars (or more!) investigating something that won't ever provide them with a financial return (the shareholders would likely revolt).

This is where government and public institutions come in, as well as charities. Aside from direct funding, governments could offer to extend patent protection for a limited time to any pharma company that comes up with a clinically proven cure for cancer.

 

[Jennifer_]

Considering the advancement in the last 50 years, the next 50 will be amazing. A cure for all cancers, I doubt as new ones will raise their ugly heads, but many will be a thing of the past.

I disagree.... I think the advancement is the problem.

It seems everything we do and/or consume has a negative effect on our health. Health Canada takes a "risk management" approach when making decisions which basically acknowledges the fact that some decisions may negatively affect an acceptable number of the population.

Watch "HomoToxicus" to get a Canadian perspective.

Then-again.... It's added to my current pessimistic state

full movie:

 

[LazMan]

I'm a firefighter - odds are better then average that I'm dying from cancer - it's in my best interests for a cure to be found. I won't go as far as to say there _IS_ a cure, and it's being kept surpressed - but it's a stone fact that there is WAY more money in LOOKING for a cure, as compared to finding one...

And, I hate to say it, many cancer charities (Susan B. Komen is among the worst) are profiting from the "search" while providing very little actual funding to research... In the 2010 fiscal year, they raised almost 365 Million bucks, but spent 75 on research.

 

[oil&gas]

It's a long war but we are winning a few battles. One of my co-workers got the same cancer at the same age (45) as his father. His father died at age 46. My co-worker is now 60.

In their cases it could be that the battles were won as a result of better and
more extensive health care services and facilities rather than advancement
in cancer drugs research. So far science has been doing a good job extending
the agony of dying patients through surgical removal of vital organs and
application of poisonous chemicals to keep them alive as long as possible.
Our excellent health care system has dedicated whatever resources
needed to palliative care so at least patients can die with some dignity.
But I am afraid health care expenditure is not going to be sustainable
for too long.

 

[bobistheowl]

Jennifer, add Milk Thistle to your list of natural remedies. Several years ago, I was severely poisoned after I ate some wild mushrooms that looked a lot like an edible kind. I was told later that on a 1-10 scale of toxicity, they were about a 9.

Three days later, doctors at Toronto General Hospital were making preliminary plans to schedule me for a liver transplant, and five days after that, my liver was back to normal, and I was released after two additional days for observation.

One of the doctors had given me a bottle of Milk Thistle caplets, and he said that he was not legally allowed to prescribe them to me, but anecdotal evidence suggested that it would be beneficial for me to take them, along with the disgusting charcoal drink.

 

[wigglee]

perhaps this is a chance for the Cancer Society to step up to the plate

 

[spraggamuffin]

My bro is in cancer research and oncology. He claims there is no conspiracy by big pharma already having a cure but not making it available.

Cancer is also supposedly hard to come by initially and even harder to get rid off once it shows up.

Some cancers like pancreatic cancer display no symptoms and is often diagnosed too late.

Long after it's spread through the lymph system.

Many people don't know a great deal about cancer.

All angles must be investigated especially internally at a genetic level, cancer being a mutation itself to environmental factors.

An interesting book for the layman to read on cancer is:

The Emperor of all maladies.

http://www.google.com/products/cata...=KE-XT4ToI4H30gHev63UDg&sqi=2&ved=0CHgQ8wIwBg

 

[gudnite]

I'm a firefighter - odds are better then average that I'm dying from cancer - it's in my best interests for a cure to be found. I won't go as far as to say there _IS_ a cure, and it's being kept surpressed - but it's a stone fact that there is WAY more money in LOOKING for a cure, as compared to finding one...

And, I hate to say it, many cancer charities (Susan B. Komen is among the worst) are profiting from the "search" while providing very little actual funding to research... In the 2010 fiscal year, they raised almost 365 Million bucks, but spent 75 on research.

Hey lazman your absolutely correct. Do you know how much money these CEO's and other exc. make every year. It's sickening. They earn $500,$600 k plus bounes. The more money the cancer charties raise the bigger their bonus is. Only about 15 / 18% of every dollar raised gets to research.....

 

[K Douglas]

Jennifer, add Milk Thistle to your list of natural remedies. Several years ago, I was severely poisoned after I ate some wild mushrooms that looked a lot like an edible kind. I was told later that on a 1-10 scale of toxicity, they were about a 9.

Three days later, doctors at Toronto General Hospital were making preliminary plans to schedule me for a liver transplant, and five days after that, my liver was back to normal, and I was released after two additional days for observation.

One of the doctors had given me a bottle of Milk Thistle caplets, and he said that he was not legally allowed to prescribe them to me, but anecdotal evidence suggested that it would be beneficial for me to take them, along with the disgusting charcoal drink.

I take Milk Thistle, Ester C, Omega3 as part of my daily regimen. Haven't had a cold or flu bug since taking them regularly about 2 years ago. Alright now I've jinxed myself

I hear from many conspiracy theorists that the cure for cancer exists but is being withheld because it would cost the pharmaceutical industry billions of dollars per year. To me that doesn't make sense because if a company has the cure, they can patent it and are golden. I believe in the goodness of people, all it takes is one scientist to come out and say we have the cure. I don't think it exists and frankly I don't think it ever will. The human body is the most complex matter ever produced.

 

[onthebottom]

No more so that we will find a "cure" for heart disease..... you're going to die of something, I've heard it said all men get prostate cancer if they live long enough.....

It's all about playing for time. Will medicine find us more time... I think so, how much we'll enjoy that time... that's a better question.

OTB

 

[JohnC]

There is no such general disease as cancer, just many many different forms that can be treated in many many different ways. Some they still have no idea how to treat, my granddaughter died of rhabmyosacrcoma and when I talked to the oncologist at the funeral he admitted that they had trie all kinds of chemo strategies but none worked on that particular version!!

 

[userz]

Life is carcinogenic.

The prospect of dying at age 70+ of cancer sounds much better to me than being taken out by something like TB or cholera in middle age like many of our ancestors would have a few generations ago.

 

[Jennifer_]

Life is carcinogenic.

The prospect of dying at age 70+ of cancer sounds much better to me than being taken out by something like TB or cholera in middle age like many of our ancestors would have a few generations ago.

.... I see your point and agree to a certain degree.

One of my closest friends had cancer at a very young age and is in remission. But I agree - we live longer now and because we're exposed to more than an our ancestors yet live longer ... I suppose it's inevitable.

But it's just so depressing

It seems that the majority of people who die now die of cancer..... I'm in my early 30s. (cough I mean I'm 28 )... it seems as though things have changed even since I was first old-enough to understand death.... Only 2 of the 6 grandparents I've known and lost died of cancer - yet it's so rare to hear of someone dying of another cause. It's still hard for me to get my head around it all.

 

[Jennifer_]

Jennifer, add Milk Thistle to your list of natural remedies. Several years ago, I was severely poisoned after I ate some wild mushrooms that looked a lot like an edible kind. I was told later that on a 1-10 scale of toxicity, they were about a 9.

Three days later, doctors at Toronto General Hospital were making preliminary plans to schedule me for a liver transplant, and five days after that, my liver was back to normal, and I was released after two additional days for observation.

One of the doctors had given me a bottle of Milk Thistle caplets, and he said that he was not legally allowed to prescribe them to me, but anecdotal evidence suggested that it would be beneficial for me to take them, along with the disgusting charcoal drink.

.... that's a pretty-amazing story.

I've heard lotsa negative stuff about things like Echinacea and St. John's Wort but there are definitely alternative medications that have proven to be more effective than traditional meds. Are we not hearing stories like yours because it won't send profits to certain companies (?) Omg - yes I'm too skeptical - I'm cringing as I write this but your story proves skepticism is justified ... Thank-you - I have taken Milk Thistle but am going to research it further.