Cancer Prevention

Cancer Prevention A recent letter in The Scientist recommended greater emphasis on cancer prevention, and outlined personal and societal regimens to enhance prevention.1 While these recommendations are laudable, they have been known for years, but have essentially not been implemented. In the United States, and increasingly in many other countries, an illness sub-economy has developed. It goes by the misnomer of 'health care.' A substantial and increasing share of gross domestic product is devoted to all aspects of chronic illness and its supporting infrastructure, including: Production of causative agents (cigarettes, alcohol, 'junk' food, environmental pollutants) Production of high-tech diagnostic equipment (NMRI, CAT, nuclear medicine) Production of high-tech treatments (surgery, drugs/chemotherapy, radiation) Medical infrastructure (hospitals, rehabilitation centers, doctors, nurses, aides, medical journals, medical newsletters, medical research, medical schools, therapy schools, alternative medical education) The massive industry devoted to advertising and marketing each of the items above The growing medical insurance industry The investment industry that finances medical products and ventures The legal industry that supports the items above (malpractice, patents) As a first step, the healing communities (orthodox and alternative) need to reach consensus on the causes of, and preventive steps for, chronic illnesses of various types. This step is critical for credibility and eventual public acceptance. Many causes of cancer often take decades to identify and verify. Much of the data is 'soft.' While controlled experiments are possible with animal models over lengthy time periods, experience with humans is very different for the required verification periods. Over these long time frames, many factors are operable simultaneously with humans. For example, many people who experience degenerative illnesses smoke, drink alcohol, eat trans-fats, are obese, inhale automotive exhausts regularly through long commutes on congested roads, or live in radon-rich environments. The synergies among these factors are not well known in animal models, and may be characterized by strong nonlinearities in some cases. They are known far less in human models. In addition, states of high mental stress in humans can produce excessive harmful chemicals internally, further compounding the synergies, and adding uncertainty to the data. Once consensus on a prevention plan has been reached, a series of incentives and mandates, backed by law, needs to be established, including: Higher taxes on all foods and products known to contribute to cancer and other degenerative illnesses, with stricter regulation on the production of the more serious contributors Higher taxes on all industrial processes known to contribute to cancer and other degenerative illnesses, with stricter regulation on the more harmful processes Higher insurance rates for people and organizations who follow and contribute to higher-risk regimens for chronic degenerative illnesses, and lower insurance rates for those individuals and organizations that follow lower-risk regimens Stringent controls over advertising of all at-risk inhalants, food, and drink substances, and industrial pollutants. Expansion of government-sponsored negative advertising for all potential carcinogens Expansion of malpractice laws to include lack of dissemination of cancer causation information to patients by medical practitioners and institutions Expansion of liability laws to make manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers liable for known chronic degenerative illnesses that result from exposure to their products, including: substances eaten, drunk, inhaled, and applied superficially The above implementation strategy would be a major step toward ending the 'free ride' that the polluters have had for over two centuries in this country, where they have borne little responsibility for the consequences of their products and actions. The strategy represents a major shift in how this country assigns personal and industrial liability and responsibility for the development of many degenerative illnesses. The goals and obstacles are formidable, and the resources required, including legal, are formidable. Ronald N. Kostoff, PhD 307 Yoakum Parkway Suite 1821 Alexandria, VA 22304 1. J. Huff et al., "Primary prevention of cancer," The Scientist, 16[18]:10-1, Sept. 16, 2002.

Cancer Prevention

Cancer Prevention

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