Why isn't there a cure for cancer yet? (drugs, conspiracy, companies)
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Am I the only one who finds it strange that cancer hasn't been cured yet? In the 20th century, so many diseases were being cured such as Polio, Measles and Typhoid Fever. They have been studying cancer for years, so I find it strange that they haven't come up with a cure yet. It seems like every other person gets cancer these days and it's scary.
And chemotherapy and radiation don't count as cures. They simply treat it, but leave a lot of terrible side effects. Cancer always has a chance of coming back. I believe there is just too much money in medicine these days and that's the reason there is no cure for cancer. All of these drug companies and hospitals wouldn't be making nearly as much money if cancer was cured.
It sounds like what you're really asking is why isn't there a vaccine for cancer. There is one already - the HPV vaccine, Gardasil, protects against cancer of the cervix, anus, vulva, and vagina.
The main issue is that not all cancers are the same. We haven't even come up with a completely effective vaccine for the flu, and that's because there are so many different strains of it. There are a lot of different types of cancers that come about for different reasons. So there's not going to be a one-size-fits-all vaccine possible. However, there are new targeted cancer therapies being tested (just read this article today, that talks about genetically programming a person's own blood cells to target cancer cells, wiping them out within days: Cancer meets its nemesis in reprogrammed blood cells - 25 November 2013 - New Scientist).
I don't think it's a case of the pharmaceutical companies wanting to make tons of money - after all, I think everyone would get a cancer vaccine if one was available, whereas not everyone will end up getting cancer, which means not everyone will need drugs for cancer treatment. As you pointed out, there were vaccines created for other diseases - the pharm companies didn't keep those from coming out so they could keep making money on treating diseases rather than preventing them.
It sounds like what you're really asking is why isn't there a vaccine for cancer. There is one already - the HPV vaccine, Gardasil, protects against cancer of the cervix, anus, vulva, and vagina.
The main issue is that not all cancers are the same. We haven't even come up with a completely effective vaccine for the flu, and that's because there are so many different strains of it. There are a lot of different types of cancers that come about for different reasons. So there's not going to be a one-size-fits-all vaccine possible. However, there are new targeted cancer therapies being tested (just read this article today, that talks about genetically programming a person's own blood cells to target cancer cells, wiping them out within days: Cancer meets its nemesis in reprogrammed blood cells - 25 November 2013 - New Scientist).
I don't think it's a case of the pharmaceutical companies wanting to make tons of money - after all, I think everyone would get a cancer vaccine if one was available, whereas not everyone will end up getting cancer, which means not everyone will need drugs for cancer treatment. As you pointed out, there were vaccines created for other diseases - the pharm companies didn't keep those from coming out so they could keep making money on treating diseases rather than preventing them.
But many of these vaccines came out in the early to mid 20th century... it didn't seem like drug companies were as greedy back then. Nowadays, everyone is obsessed with the almighty dollar.
Cancers are disorders that occur at the cellular level where not everything is yet well understood. There are more than 200 different kinds of cancer in humans. It isn't some single virus or bacteria that needs to be combatted.
Am I the only one who finds it strange that cancer hasn't been cured yet?
What does everyone else think?
I think there already is a cure...more than one...but like you said, there's too much money to be made supposedly researching and trying to find that cure.
There's no way the med industry's willing to give that up.
The big difference between cancer and other diseases is what causes it. Polio, typhoid, smallpox, etc, are all caused by viruses and bacteria, which have a relatively reliable method of synthesizing a vaccine - by taking the original agent and using it to teach your immune system to fight it.
Cancer has no such cause. while there are many causes, almost none of them are from bacteria or viruses. Whatever the cause of an individual cancer, it is quite literally just excessive cellular mutation, and there's nothing for your immune system to actually fight. So a reliable vaccine or cure would have to come from an entirely new direction.
For those of you who think there's some medical conspiracy going on, you're insane. Any researcher would win a Nobel prize for creating an effective nonsurgical cure or vaccine for cancer, and pharmaceutical company that outright told it's researchers to not really cure cancer would be destroyed by the bad publicity alone. No legitimate scientist would follow such a directive.
Measles has NOT been "cured " at all. There IS a measles vaccine, that helps to prevent infection, but it certainly is NOT a cure.
Treatment outcomes, for many types of cancer are MUCH better than in the past, now.
Jim B.
Toronto.
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