I read a National Cancer Institute (NCI) transcript of an interview with NCI director Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D., titled, 2015: A TARGET DATE FOR ELIMINATING SUFFERING AND DEATH DUE TO CANCER. As a veteran of breast cancer I was personally stunned and offended; as a women’s health advocate I was appalled. The careful manipulation of wording to alter public perception of the disease and minimize the direction of research expectations was all too transparent. Dr. von Eschenbach was quoted as saying, "It does not mean ‘curing’ cancer but, rather, it means that we will eliminate many cancers and control the others, so people can live with--not die from--cancer." It is hard to understand how cancers can be eliminated without first finding a cure through a root cause. No matter how you dance around this sentence it just doesn’t make sense.



THIS COUNTRY HAS MORE PROBLEMS THAN IT SHOULD TOLERATE AND MORE SOLUTIONS THAN IT USES --Ralph Nader


Ultimately, there are only two causes for any type of cancer--the environment or a genetically inherited predisposition for the disease. Contrary to popular belief, fewer than 10% of all cancers are thought to have a hereditary link. Even with that link there is no guarantee that someone will develop the disease. If they do, it is still the result of some type of environmental influences. We conveniently accuse the individual for being partially responsible for predisposing themselves to certain cancers because of "lifestyle choices." Aren’t these choices just a limited manipulation of a larger, still unknown, environment? Even cigarette smoking has an unknown combined effect with other environmental toxins, carcinogens, and endocrine disruptors. Yet the entire interview with Dr. von Eschenbach revolves exclusively around the newest technology in genetic and cellular research. The word "environment" never occurs even once in the actual interview. The word "environmental" has a brief mention in an appendix under the heading of "Molecular Epidemiology: Understanding the Causes of Cancer." All of one paragraph is dedicated to this subject and the environmental reference is, "This initiative will develop strategies ...studying the interaction of genetic and environmental determinants of cancer risk ..." The only other derivative of the word environment is under the appendix heading "Integrative Cancer Biology." There is mention of tumor "microenvironment" and "macroenvironment" when referring to "research in the areas of intracellular networks."



IN THE IDEAL WORLD, SCIENCE WORKS ONLY IF IT REMAINS OBJECTIVE, INDEPENDENT AND OUTSIDE OF POLITICS --Devra Davis, from When Smoke Ran Like Water

I remember when terms like "environment," "carcinogen," and "cure" were common public health terms when referring to cancer. Today, these same terms are rarely used. Instead, they’ve been replaced with the terms "genetics," "drug therapy," and "disease management." This shift in language has little to do with science and everything to do with a conscious effort to redirect research, public awareness, and long-term expectations.

It is clear that politics, not science, dominates the direction of medicine and research. If science ruled over politics, cigarettes would be illegal, corporations would be accountable for polluting, and environmental research through the federal government would account for more than 1% of research funding.



THE RIGHT TO SEARCH FOR TRUTH IMPLIES ALSO A DUTY --Albert Einstein

A goal of living with cancer or even "eliminating" the disease just isn’t good enough. We must find a cure. If we ever hope to accomplish this we must first take on the duty of searching for the truth. Looking for that truth by myopically breaking down the genetic process of cancer further and further is like trying to describe an elephant through a microscope--the closer you get to an elephant the harder it gets to describe the larger beast. Only by stepping back and taking a broader view of all the elements that compose an elephant can we see the animal in its entirety. Like the elephant, in viewing cancer, we should set aside the microscope, step back a few feet, and take a better look at the entire animal. Perhaps then we can hope to truly eliminate suffering and death due to cancer by broadening our scope in research to identify the root causes and find some real cures.

If you have any comments or experiences that you would like to relate to us regarding this subject, please contact Marleen at MQhealthpge@aol.com


References and Resources:

http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/benchmarks-vol3-issue2

http://www.panna.org

Valuable Health, co-links
http://www.susunweed.com/Links_new.htm#womens_health

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Marleen M. Quint
Originally from Hawaii, Marleen was also raised in Japan and Guam. Her background is extremely eclectic and ranges from working in the field of cartography to performing as a singer, dancer and actress.

In 1990, Marleen was diagnosed with thyroid disease followed by breast cancer less than two years later. She lost both breasts and her thyroid with no family history that would predispose her to either disease. After much research, Marleen is convinced that environmental pollution played a significant role in the development of her life-threatening diseases.

Since 1995, Marleen has dedicated herself as a women's health advocate. She has served as a consultant for several health organizations including the National Cancer Institute in Washington, DC and UCSF Mt. Zion Cancer Center in San Francisco.

Marleen has combined her skills to develop a women's health presentation which delves into the connections between the politics of gender bias and the level of morbidity suffered by women. Marleen is an active speaker in the San Francisco Bay Area.

e-mail: MQhealthpge@aol.com