Is American Cancer Society More About Cancer Profit Or Cancer Prevention?

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http://www.mercola.com/2005/aug/27/is_american_cancer_society_more_about_cancer_\

profit_or_cancer_prevention.htm

 

Is American Cancer Society More About Cancer Profit Or Cancer Prevention?

 

This News Target article probes the connections between the American

Cancer Society and the medical industry, in order to examine why the

ACS focuses more on the expensive technique of screening, diagnosis,

and treatment than on prevention.

 

Connection Admitted

 

The ACS does not deny their connection with industry. Said ACS' doctor

Michael Thun, " The American Cancer Society views relationships with

corporations as a source of revenue for cancer prevention. That can be

construed as an inherent conflict of interest, or it can be viewed as

a pragmatic way to get funding to support cancer control. " The ACS'

board was created in order to solicit corporate contributions, and

several board members are CEO's or presidents of biotechnology companies.

 

Many board members, in fact, stand to make much more money from

treating cancer than from preventing it. It has also been argued that

their ties to polluting industries has led the industry to willfully

suppress information about the environmental causes of cancer.

 

Alternative Therapies Blacklisted

 

Many alternative health doctors and providers have complained about he

ACS' controversial " Committee on Unproven Methods of Cancer

Management. " This Committee reviews " unorthodox " or " alternative "

therapies, and puts most of these treatments on the " Unproven Methods "

list. This list has caused doctors with successful methods to be

refused research money and raided by the FDA.

 

Most of the treatments on the " Unproven Methods " list have never been

shown to be ineffective or dangerous. More than 100 promising

therapies have been discredited by the ACS in this way, including:

 

* Tumor Necrosis Factor (originally called Coleys' Toxin)

* Hydrazine sulfate

* Laetrile

* Gersons therapy, and

* Antineoplastons

 

It is interesting to note that the techniques on the list are

generally unpatented or unpatentable.

 

The American Cancer Society claims it is, among other things,

" dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by

preventing cancer " . However, the ACS' corporate entanglements may be

preventing them from achieving that very goal.

 

 

 

News Target July 31, 2005

 

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

 

One of my major concerns with organizations like the American Cancer

Society is that they deceive the well intentioned and extraordinarily

generous American public with their solicitations for charitable

donations. People feel good about donating to an organization that is

fighting cancer, but the hard reality is that virtually all of their

donations are wasted on approaches that are destined to fail.

 

Just their Run for Life events alone over the last ten years has

generated over $1.5 billion dollars to their coffers so they can

continue to promote the fatally flawed sytem.

 

This is an important issue as earlier this year cancer surpassed heart

disease as the leading cause of death in Americans under the age of 85.

 

The true key to fighting cancer is prevention. But, with cancer, as

with many other life-threatening illnesses, the conventional medical

industry makes no money if you able to avoid the number one cause of

death in the US. They only benefit if they can treat you for it. Which

means that prevention techniques are practically ignored.

 

Similarly, alternative therapies are derided as quackery and junk

science. But when you compare the healthy and natural techniques of

cancer prevention to the dangerous and toxic methods of " conventional "

cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, it's

hard not to wonder which method is actually " junk " .

 

If you really want to keep yourself from getting cancer:

 

*

Eat a healthy, sugar free diet that lowers your insulin levels.

* Optimize your vitamin D levels by getting enough sunshine.

* Balance your ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fats by taking a

premium fish or cod liver oil every day.

*

Get enough sleep, and

*

Exercise.

 

 

 

Related Articles:

 

American Cancer Society Threatens to Hijack the National Cancer

Program

 

The Cancer Charity Scam

 

Nine Steps for Healthy Living Can Reduce Women's Cancer Risk