Google the words “cancer cure”, and 136 million results emerge. Narrow the search down to “natural cancer cure”, and the results fall to a still-robust 76 million. While a comprehensive analysis of these supposed cures is, regrettably, beyond the scope of this blog post, it can be safely assumed that amongst them are innumerable unproven, potentially harmful (and often quite expensive) options. So how, you might ask, can this multitude of cyber-snake oil remain so prevalent and easily accessible? The truth is that false hope is still a kind of hope, and for the millions afflicted with cancer, this is sometimes the only kind they’ve got.
Fortunately, not everyone working to cure cancer is a charlatan, looking only to pad their bank account. Real, significant advances in cancer treatment, both natural and conventional, are continually emerging. The hope is that one day in the not-too-distant future, the dominant online search terms will evolve from “cancer cure” to “cancer cured”.
Until that time, however, our best strategy in the war on cancer is to avoid the conflict in the first place. Of the over 12 million people worldwide diagnosed with cancer each year, an estimated 90-95% of cases can be directly attributed to environmental or lifestyle factors (as opposed to heredity). This means that over 11 million new cancer diagnoses could have been wiped clean through directly modifiable behaviour, including greater personal responsibility and awareness, political accountability and global awareness. By comparison, only 68% of all adults in the U.S. diagnosed with cancer survive for five or more years. While this is a vast improvement in the 50% 5-year U.S. survival rate of the mid-1970’s, extrapolating that percentage to a global scale would still result in 3-4 million additional cancer deaths when compared to the impact of preventable cancer cases.
There is undoubtedly an appeal to living one’s life ignorant to the fear of cancer—the old “that’ll never happen to me” mentality—eating, drinking and otherwise partaking in whatever pursuits one so chooses. And when the spectre of cancer does arise, it is similarly tempting to turn to whichever remedies, potions or magic bullets tell the newly diagnosed cancer patient the word they so dearly want to hear: cure. However, the reality is that we are still searching for a cure. But until that time, we are all given that one magic bullet that can strike down cancer like no other:
Prevention.
Anand P, Kunnumakkara AB, Kunnumakara AB, et al. Cancer is a preventable disease that requires major lifestyle changes. Pharm Res. 2008;25(9):2097-116.
https://report.nih.gov/NIHfactsheets/ViewFactSheet.aspx?csid=75
