Cancer
(→Cancer and chemophobia) |
(→Cancer and chemophobia) |
||
| Line 17: | Line 17: | ||
A very common claim is that there are more cases of cancer than ever before because people are now exposed to [[Chemophobia|synthetic chemicals]] and artificial food additives more often than in the [[good old days]] when everyone [[Appeal to nature|lived naturally]]. The main problem with this argument is that the increase can be attributed to people nowadays actually living long enough to get cancer. Cancer is primarily a disease of old age.<ref>[http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/cd-mc/cancer/ccs-scc-2012-eng.php Canadian Cancer Statistics 2012], Public Health Agency of Canada.</ref> In the "good old days", people died at age 40 from diseases like [[smallpox]] and tuberculosis, and therefore did not have a high chance of getting cancer. When the incidence of these diseases declined (or disappeared, in the case of smallpox), the people who were saved went on to live into middle age, when they consequently got cancer. This is what happens when a disease is cured: the people who would have died from disease X go on to live longer, and eventually die of disease Y. There is thus a rise in the number of cases of disease Y, but not because there are more triggers for it. On the chart at right, you can see that there are indeed more cases of cancer in 2010. But there are many diseases in 1900 that are completely absent in 2010, and the total number of deaths overall is much lower in 2010. | A very common claim is that there are more cases of cancer than ever before because people are now exposed to [[Chemophobia|synthetic chemicals]] and artificial food additives more often than in the [[good old days]] when everyone [[Appeal to nature|lived naturally]]. The main problem with this argument is that the increase can be attributed to people nowadays actually living long enough to get cancer. Cancer is primarily a disease of old age.<ref>[http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/cd-mc/cancer/ccs-scc-2012-eng.php Canadian Cancer Statistics 2012], Public Health Agency of Canada.</ref> In the "good old days", people died at age 40 from diseases like [[smallpox]] and tuberculosis, and therefore did not have a high chance of getting cancer. When the incidence of these diseases declined (or disappeared, in the case of smallpox), the people who were saved went on to live into middle age, when they consequently got cancer. This is what happens when a disease is cured: the people who would have died from disease X go on to live longer, and eventually die of disease Y. There is thus a rise in the number of cases of disease Y, but not because there are more triggers for it. On the chart at right, you can see that there are indeed more cases of cancer in 2010. But there are many diseases in 1900 that are completely absent in 2010, and the total number of deaths overall is much lower in 2010. | ||
| − | Another major problem with this argument is that many of the top causes of cancer — [[tobacco]], [[alcohol]], an unhealthy diet — are perfectly natural. Tobacco is estimated to account for 25% of all cancer deaths and 86% of lung cancer deaths.<ref>[http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerstats/mortality/cancerdeaths/ Cancer mortality for common cancers], Cancer Research UK.</ref> (Not bad for "God's remedy", as tobacco was formerly called.) | + | Another major problem with this argument is that many of the top causes of cancer — [[tobacco]], [[alcohol]], an unhealthy diet, viruses — are perfectly natural. Tobacco is estimated to account for 25% of all cancer deaths and 86% of lung cancer deaths.<ref>[http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerstats/mortality/cancerdeaths/ Cancer mortality for common cancers], Cancer Research UK.</ref> (Not bad for "God's remedy", as tobacco was formerly called.) Certainly, this does not mean that pollutants are not carcinogenic, but their effect is relatively small. |
==Quack cancer treatments== | ==Quack cancer treatments== | ||
Revision as of 13:54, 25 October 2013
Cancer is an umbrella term for a class of diseases caused by uncontrolled cell reproduction. There are different types of cancer affecting different types of tissues, though a cancer may spread (metastasise) to other tissues other than those in which it originated. Cancer may be treated medically with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
Cancer sucks. The people who seek to profit from desperate cancer patients and their families by offering fake "cures" also suck.
Due to the fear inspired by the disease, its victims are especially susceptible to charlatans. The number of quack treatments of cancer grows much more quickly than the number of real treatments. Purveyors of quackery are not limited to treatments tested scientifically, which significantly speeds the marketing process.
| “ | Because cancer and other forms of deformities are the results of the curse of sin, I believe that scientists are probably wasting their time in trying find cures. In the end, their efforts will either amount to nothing or they will invoke God's wrath. | ” |
| —Rapture Ready, "Does God approve of cloning and genetic research?" | ||
Contents |
Alternative Therapies
There is a fine line between holistic medicine and woo.[1] If offered in support of standard medical care, and with the doctor's approval, things like massage, nutritional therapy, acupuncture, yoga, and meditation have been shown scientifically to have a calming effect, a restorative effect, and a level of pain management for such chronic illnesses. Even things completely without actual benefit, like crystals, remote prayer, or magnets might help a patient be more calm, and they can do no harm.
The danger is when Alternative Therapies turn into woo. Look out for people telling you they "cure" you with their alternative therapies. Question how much they are charging for the services — is it a job,[2] or are they profiting on your pain? Most importantly, anyone advising you not tell your doctor about the "treatment" or that you should do the "treatment" against doctor's orders — or the single worst, that you forgo modern medicine for the "treatment" — should be instantly decried.
Cancer and chemophobia
A very common claim is that there are more cases of cancer than ever before because people are now exposed to synthetic chemicals and artificial food additives more often than in the good old days when everyone lived naturally. The main problem with this argument is that the increase can be attributed to people nowadays actually living long enough to get cancer. Cancer is primarily a disease of old age.[4] In the "good old days", people died at age 40 from diseases like smallpox and tuberculosis, and therefore did not have a high chance of getting cancer. When the incidence of these diseases declined (or disappeared, in the case of smallpox), the people who were saved went on to live into middle age, when they consequently got cancer. This is what happens when a disease is cured: the people who would have died from disease X go on to live longer, and eventually die of disease Y. There is thus a rise in the number of cases of disease Y, but not because there are more triggers for it. On the chart at right, you can see that there are indeed more cases of cancer in 2010. But there are many diseases in 1900 that are completely absent in 2010, and the total number of deaths overall is much lower in 2010.
Another major problem with this argument is that many of the top causes of cancer — tobacco, alcohol, an unhealthy diet, viruses — are perfectly natural. Tobacco is estimated to account for 25% of all cancer deaths and 86% of lung cancer deaths.[5] (Not bad for "God's remedy", as tobacco was formerly called.) Certainly, this does not mean that pollutants are not carcinogenic, but their effect is relatively small.
Quack cancer treatments
- Cansema or Black Salve
- Color therapy
- Faith healing
- Fasting
- Kabbalah water
- Kombucha tea
- Laetrile
- Lemonade Diet
- Oxygen therapy i.e. hydrogen peroxide and ozone
- New German Medicine
- Shark cartilage
- Shiitake mushroom
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Start by seeing who is making money, and how much.
- ↑ Everyone has a right to a decent living.
- ↑ The Burden of Disease and the Changing Task of Medicine, N Engl J Med 2012; 366:2333-2338.
- ↑ Canadian Cancer Statistics 2012, Public Health Agency of Canada.
- ↑ Cancer mortality for common cancers, Cancer Research UK.