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03/03/2007: "Pharmaceutical Phrustrations"
When I first heard the words, “You have cancer” I did like most people do and followed the doctor’s orders. There really wasn’t much time to think it over or ask too many questions. I was scared and figured these were the experts. I was in surgery the net day and full on chemo within a few weeks.
If you have been following my journey, you know that I am leaning more towards “alternative” approaches to fighting cancer. Since 1971 when we started the war on cancer the US alone has spent thousands of man-years and over 100 billion dollars of tax-payer money on research. As a result, we have surgery, radiation and chemotherapy as our only options and cancer deaths now (adjusted for age and population growth) are much higher and continue to climb.
The group that controls the cancer care system in this country is the large drug companies. Their astronomical profits allow them to yield complete power over congress and the FDA. Each year, a single chemotherapy drug can turn a profit for its company somewhere close to $750 million. One company like Bristol-Myers-Squibb holds patents on more than a dozen chemotherapy drugs. You do the math. And the cost of cancer drugs can be over 50% of the total cost for treating a patient. I was on one drug (of several) that cost my insurance company $5,000 each dose and I took that twice a month. Of the 1.5 trillion dollars Americans spent on health care in 2002, we spent more on prescription drugs than hospital care.
To help maintain the status quo, the drug companies lobbied (paid) congress to pass a law stating that no natural substance can be advertised as a cure for any condition – period. Thus, by law, vitamin C cannot cure scurvy. Drug companies spend almost $20 billion on TV and print adds for prescription drugs. This is far more than the auto industry, housing industry and retail. We are brainwashed into believing that we need to take a drug to cure an illness.
There are over 120 natural products out there that have been successful in helping people beat cancer. Unfortunately, it is illegal for doctors to recommend them and illegal for companies to sell them. The FDA has shut down thousands of both, with lawsuits and strong-arm tactics. The FDA, which used to be our consumer watchdog group, is now controlled by the drug companies. Over 50% of FDA executives go to work for pharmaceutical companies when they leave the FDA. And 20% of FDA employees working on drug approval are actually paid by drug companies. Thus we get drugs like Vioxx and numerous others that come to market, are dangerous, and take years to finally get pulled after public outrage.
So there is little promise for my condition in chemotherapy and I choose to seek other cures. Even if it takes me around the globe.