Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Where is the Cure to Cancer, FDA? by Devanshi Patel



“In 1964, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) spent millions of dollars to stop an alternative cancer treatment which had cured hundreds, if not thousands, of cancer patients” (Higgins). The well-known administration of the United States, FDA has been putting restrictions on the use of alternative cancer treatment despite having a positive effect on the cancer patients. Ever Since, there has been many conspiracy theories emerging:
  1.  The FDA is hiding the cure of cancer because cancer is a big business.
  2.  The FDA is approving the use of growth and sex hormones in the foods we eat which lead to high risk of cancer.  
  3.  Big pharmaceutical companies and business are investing millions of dollars in cancer cure research programs.  
Therefore, let’s dive deeper into each conspiracy theory and find a solution to why the FDA and the government are hiding the cure of cancer from the society.
According to the Webster Dictionary greed is defined as “a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (such as money) than is needed” (Merriam Webster). Greed drives these big pharmaceutical industries to falsely advertise medication and reveal that patient care is their number one priority however, they are swept away by the profits they make from their productions which drives the public to question the industries integrity. The oncology medication market has been inflating, adding new medications and helping the overall pharmaceutical industry growth (“Top 10 pharmaceutical companies 2017” chart 1). In the year of 2017, a ranking was done to score the top 10 pharmaceutical companies through a multivariate scoring system. The oncology drug market is estimated to be almost $94 billion each year (“Top 10 pharmaceutical companies 2017”).
   F. Hoffmann-La Roche Holding AG, one of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies in oncology, is currently composing oncology drugs (“Top 10 pharmaceutical companies 2017” 1). Roche works as a multinational company and is divided into two subdivisions: Pharmaceutical and Diagnostics (“Roche pharmaceutical”, section 1). The pharmaceutical company has shown its interest in oncology, immunology, ophthalmology, infectious diseases and neuroscience, which brings them to the net worth of $189.7 billion (Forbes 1). Roche pharmaceutical claims: “Today, as then, our strategy is rooted in fostering excellence in science and empowering scientists to create breakthroughs in life science that will make a difference tomorrow” (“Roche pharmaceutical”-focus on innovation). However, the National Cancer Institution has contradicted this. They estimated that in 2018 there will approximately be 1,735,350 new cases of cancer diagnosed in the United States, resulting in the dead of approximately 609,640 people from this disease. (cancer statistic).
Big pharmaceutical companies like Roche Holding AG have assets worth of billions of dollars, which questions their integrity and corrupt the system. Roche is one of the leading pharmaceutical companies with the world’s largest biotechnology and the world’s largest provider of cancer amongst the other top pharmaceutical companies (“Roche Pharmaceutical-business overview”). Many of these companies include, Novartis, Lilly, Merck, Celgene, who all have over 42,220 million productions of tests and medications per year. Data shows that the same medication is produced in loads of amount each year and public invest in these medication, which bring the pharmaceutical companies money (“Roche in Brief 2017”-Key figures 2017).
Roche is one of many pharmaceutical companies that has been ranked at high positions for its production abilities, employer acceptance rating, high assets rate (Forbes-on Forbes list). However, why aren’t these pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies not being ranked based on their service? Why aren’t they ranked based on how much improvement they have caused in the public? Public opinions and surveys are very credential in this topic, as well as, how much of an effect is being done by these medications of cancer treatment. Moreover, it still remains a mystery if these companies are benefiting from not investing in more cancer cure research and how much money they are putting in their own pockets.
Roche states that their strategy is to “find new medications and diagnostics that help patients live better, live longer and evolve the practice of medicine” (“Roche in brief 2017”-Our strategy). Data shows that the Roche industries are present in 100 countries worldwide. Some of
these countries, states and cities are world’s leading industrial markets such as Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, Switzerland, United States, making them Roche’s top locations to produce more medication and earn more profit. These individual companies in different countries are also ranked based on the amount of production they have every year, i.e. in 2017 11% and 4% of
pharmaceutical production was done in Latin America and Japan respectively (“Roche in brief 2017”-Key growth).
Companies like Roche produce infinite amounts of medications every year and try to gain the public trust by showing them their top notched technology used to produce these medications, how these big production makes them an asset worth of billions of dollars. Roche is not the only company that advertises themselves in this manner, other companies such as Novartis and Lilly are on the same track. All of these resources put together, these companies are ranked based on their assets and production amount. However, in matters like this public opinions and data that shows how much of an effect is done on the public through these companies should be taken into consideration.
Medical technology has evolved from an X-ray machine as big as a room in 1895 to a panoramic X-ray machine used in a dental office to get a 360-angle view of your head and neck. Similarly, in the 1800s farmers used to work their land and grow cash crops such as corn, tobacco, and wheat. This was all a natural process of cultivating the land by domestic animals such as cows and horses. Then these animals were used in livestock to raise money. However, in today’s world, administrations like the FDA are eager to earn as much money as they can by populating the natural process of farming and livestock with injecting hormonal growth in domestic animals and plants (“Hormones in Food: Should You Worry?”). In this manner, the FDA earns money because of high productivity and gives cancer a role of business.
The FDA itself claims that they have approved steroid hormone drugs for the use of beef that come from cattle and sheep, including estrogen and progesterone which has increased the animals’ growth and efficiently has given the public more meat to eat (Center for Veterinary Medicine). According to Dr. Storrs, “In 1993, the FDA approved recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), a synthetic cow hormone that spurs milk production when injected into dairy cows, and consumer groups have been concerned about it ever since (“Hormones in food-should you worry?”). Dairy livestock aren’t the only prey of these growth hormones, fish like Salmon are also being injected with these growth hormones, “A salmon that grows the market size twice as fast as normal. Dairy cows that produce 15 percent more milk. Beef cows that grow 20 percent faster” (1).  The FDA has stamped and approved that these hormones are safe for the public to consume, however, the FDA’s stamp of approval isn’t likely to assure many of us who worry if these artificial hormones can lead to higher risks of cancer (Center for Veterinary Medicine). Estrogen is a female sex hormone and is also known as human carcinogens (National Cancer Institution). Despite the fact that estrogen has a physiological function in males and females, it has been identified as a high risk of cancer when the body has a high level of the hormone (National Cancer Institution). According to research done by the National Cancer Institution, “Studies have also shown that a woman’s risk of breast cancer is related to the estrogen and progesterone made by her ovaries” (1).
The American Cancer Society guideline on nutrition for cancer prevention has shown that these food additives are something that should be avoided by high cancer risk patients (“Food Additives, Safety, and Organic Foods”). In contrast, FDA proves that they work with the oncology medical staff to approve the drugs and treatment used on patients is beneficial (Center for Veterinary Medicine). On the other hand, high cancer risk is feasible by the public through the artificial sex and growth hormones that are put into the food products available at any local super market around the United States (Denn, Rebekah). These food products are what make up our daily intake and are believed to be nutritionist for our bodies however, including the growth hormones makes them unhealthy (1). Some of these products include, but not limited to apples, ground beef, milk, canned tomatoes, and chicken (1). So, how can the FDA say they are embracing these cancer drugs and treatments that are beneficial to the public, when they have set out one of the highest risks of getting cancer, artificial sex and growth hormones, in the public. Some of these products are foods that we eat in our normal day to day lives. Being the public, are we supposed to be scared every-time we go grocery shopping and pick up a pack of beef or vegetables? The organic Consumer Association says that, “beef produced in the United States is heavily contaminated with natural or synthetic sex hormones, which are associated with an increased risk of reproductive and childhood cancers” (“Hormones in U.S. Beef Linked to Increased Cancer Risk.”). Doctor Samuel Epstein, chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, spent his life spreading the awareness of preventing cancer and fighting industries that put workers and consumers at risk (“Samuel Epstein Leaves Legacy of Cancer Prevention.”). “Increased levels of sex hormones are linked to the escalating incidence of reproductive cancers in the United Sates since 1975-60% for prostate, 59% for testis, and 10% for breast,” said Dr. Epstein (“Hormones in U.S. Beef Linked to Increased Cancer Risk.”). However, on the controversial side, the FDA approves all steroid and sex hormone drugs added to cattle, sheep, and plants to be safe for humans to eat and that the drugs do not harm the treated animal or the environment (Center for Veterinary Medicine). But in the case of progesterone and estrogen being present in the body of a women for too long can lead to high risks of cancer (National Cancer Institution).
Now the other question is, what happens to all the money that is put into cancer treatment of patients? As far as we know, the three well know cancer treatment are 1) chemotherapy, 2) radiation, and 3) surgery to the respective body part that has the cancer. The cancer treatment industry is thriving right now and by finding a cure to cancer might bring an end to multiple billion-dollar companies (attachment 1). These companies are booming with the help of a deadly illness and making the maximum profit they can by over pricing even the simplest treatments (attachment 1).
Dr. Evengelos Michelakis, members of the University of Alberta’s faculty of medicine, had a research study over a long period of time that got them close to discovering how cancer cells were formed and how the cell growth can be prevented or cured (Walia Arjun). “Long after his work was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation… the University of Alberta’s research team still isn’t receiving any support from the medical industry” (1). His work was also published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), a branch of National Institutes of Health. National Center for Biotechnology Information is a resource available to the public that allows them to take a notice of the what these health companies are keeping data of and allows the public to have a reliable health information online (“Finding Reliable Health Information Online.”). Even though Dr. Michelakis work was introduced to the public and other pharmaceutical companies by a nationally known institution, they were told to shut down the research because the pharmaceutical sector of medicine that was responsible for clinical trials wasn’t funded by any research company or the public (Walia Arjun). So here is the theory again, cancer has become such a big business that all the treatments done are only because pharmaceutical companies, research companies are eager to earn money off a deadly illness.
Moreover, the FDA is hiding a secret we are all impatient to know, is there a cure for cancer? The question I asked in my survey was, “do you believe the FDA is hiding the cure of cancer and why or why not?” 57.87% of college and high school students said yes because chemotherapy and the cancer industry is earning billions of dollars through the expensive treatments offered to the cancer patients.  Cancer has ruined many lives and has become part of many lives in the past years and now is the time we rise a public and ask the question if there is a existing cure for cancer that we are not aware of.
After researching evidence on how the FDA and other pharmaceutical companies enable the public on seeing what they have done to the cancer industry, three conspiracies remain:
1.       Growth hormones added to the food we eat on a daily are putting us a high risk of cancer and these avidities are approved by the FDA.
2.       Big pharmaceutical companies and business are investing millions of dollars in cancer cure research programs.
Even though, doctors like Samuel Epstein tried to start a revolutionary act against cancer, yet today cancer is the most unfortunate disease that destroyed the human kind.  However, FDA and big pharmaceutical companies remain as the top most reasons for the hidden cure of cancer.


Attachment 1

Work Cited
“Cancer Statistics.” National Cancer Institutewww.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics.
“Don't Believe the Hype – 10 Persistent Cancer Myths Debunked.” Cancer Research UK - Science Blog, scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2014/03/24/dont-believe-the-hype-10-persistent-cancer-myths-debunked/.
 “Top 10 Oncology Pharmaceutical Companies 2017.” IgeaHub, 15 Oct. 2017, www.igeahub.com/2017/08/14/top-10-oncology-pharmaceutical-companies-2017/.
Office of the Commissioner. “Consumer Updates - Products Claiming To.” U S Food and Drug Administration Home Page, Office of the Commissioner,www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm048383.htm.
Forbes “Roche Holding on the Forbes World's Best Employers List.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine,www.forbes.com/companies/roche-holding/#101aec656f85.
“ Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greed.

“Roche in Brief 2017”. 2017, www.roche.com/dam/jcr:81086f0e-437b-493c-9341-4dfd674754a7/en/mboncology-e.pdf.
Roos, Dave. “Is There a Hidden Cure for Cancer?” HowStuffWorks Science, HowStuffWorks, 9 June 2018, science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/no-there-is-no-hidden-cancer-cure.htm.
“The Hidden Cancer Cure.” Science-Based Medicine, 23 Feb. 2011, sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-hidden-cancer-cure/.
“Why Haven't We Cured Cancer Yet?” Science-Based Medicine, 14 Feb. 2011, sciencebasedmedicine.org/why-havent-we-cured-cancer-yet/
Center for Veterinary Medicine. “Product Safety Information - Steroid Hormone Implants Used for Growth in Food-Producing Animals.” U S Food and Drug Administration Home Page, Center for Veterinary Medicine, www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/safetyhealth/productsafetyinformation/ucm055436.htm
Denn, Rebekah. “10 Organic Foods Worth Paying More Money.” AARP, 30 May 2012, www.aarp.org/food/healthy-eating/info-05-2012/10-foods-spend-more.html.
“Hormones in Food: Should You Worry?” Health.com, www.health.com/health/article/0,,20458816,00.ht
“Hormones in U.S. Beef Linked to Increased Cancer Risk.” Organic Consumers Association, www.organicconsumers.org/news/hormones-us-beef-linked-increased-cancer-risk
 “Finding Reliable Health Information Online.” National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), www.genome.gov/11008303/finding-reliable-health-information-online/.
National Cancer Institute, “Hormones.”  www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones.
“Samuel Epstein Leaves Legacy of Cancer Prevention.” Mesothelioma Center - Vital Services for Cancer Patients & Families, 9 July 2018, www.asbestos.com/news/2018/05/02/samuel-epstein-asbestos-cancer-prevention/.
“The Truth About Cancer Is Hidden Because...” Cancer Tutor, 7 Aug. 2018, www.cancertutor.com/cancer-myths/.
Walia, Arjun. “Dichloroacetate: University of Alberta Doctors Discover A Cure For Cancer.” Collective Evolution, 26 Aug. 2013, www.collective-evolution.com/2013/06/26/dichloroacetate-university-of-alberta-doctors-discover-a-cure-for-cancer/.
-“Cancer Statistics.” National Cancer Institutewww.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics.
“Don't Believe the Hype – 10 Persistent Cancer Myths Debunked.” Cancer Research UK - Science Blog, scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2014/03/24/dont-believe-the-hype-10-persistent-cancer-myths-debunked/.
 “Top 10 Oncology Pharmaceutical Companies 2017.” IgeaHub, 15 Oct. 2017, www.igeahub.com/2017/08/14/top-10-oncology-pharmaceutical-companies-2017/.
Office of the Commissioner. “Consumer Updates - Products Claiming To.” U S Food and Drug Administration Home Page, Office of the S-S-S Commissioner,www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm048383.htm.
Forbes “Roche Holding on the Forbes World's Best Employers List.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine,www.forbes.com/companies/roche-holding/#101aec656f85.
“ Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greed.
“Roche in Brief 2017”. 2017, www.roche.com/dam/jcr:81086f0e-437b-493c-9341-4dfd674754a7/en/mboncology-e.pdf.
Roos, Dave. “Is There a Hidden Cure for Cancer?” HowStuffWorks Science, HowStuffWorks, 9 June 2018, science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/no-there-is-no-hidden-cancer-cure.htm.
“The Hidden Cancer Cure.” Science-Based Medicine, 23 Feb. 2011, sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-hidden-cancer-cure/.
“Why Haven't We Cured Cancer Yet?” Science-Based Medicine, 14 Feb. 2011, sciencebasedmedicine.org/why-havent-we-cured-cancer-yet/

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