A New Strategy for the War on Cancer - 6
Continuing a preview of my soon-to-be-released book, A New Strategy for the War on Cancer. The position of the book is that the traditional strategy to defeat cancer, compared to the mind-boggling advances in other fields of medicine, is powerless. It is ineffective. What if, instead of digital cameras, the photography industry was still trying to sell us on better film and developing processes? What if, instead of DNA, the juries could still only convict on eye witnesses accounts? What if, instead of storing volumes of data on a tiny flash drive, your company was still procuring larger file cabinets? Conventional oncologists must stop limiting their methodologies repertoire to those of the last century. Many more must cross over to integrative oncology.
Well meaning, benevolent people are sacrificially funding cancer research at the rate of hundreds of millions of dollars every year. If not directly from our pockets, we are each contributing to it through our taxes. This money is going almost exclusively toward the development of pharmaceutical chemicals, equipment, programs, and facilities to enhance conventional treatment that is not getting the results needed. Grants and contributions, as well as tax dollars, must be shared proportionally with the integrative oncology movement.
Please don’t misunderstand me. I am not categorically opposed to conventional medical research. Most integrative oncologists have devoted the first years of their professional lives to conventional medicine with countless successes. Granted, much progress has been made and is being made in early detection, quality of life for cancer patients, and even survivability rates. However, I view the trend toward complementary therapies by integrative oncologists as key to a shift in the overall cancer fighting strategy which can finally bring victory to the protracted war. This trend at least acknowledges the potential of complementary options, proven through the crucible of clinical trials, and put into practice in concert with conventional options. The problem is the the disease is gaining in frequency and strength faster than we can attack it. A cancer treatment transformation of astonishing magnitude must happen, and soon, in order to claim victory over this enemy.
Our current strategy is too institutionalized and narrow to meet the challenge. We must look beyond our present scope and expedite our progress beyond our present rate. We must establish undeniable credence to the prospects of integrative oncology. Our research must extend to include unconventional possibilities. We must make it easier for patients to obtain and afford treatments outside the mainstream. We must generate additional funds to underwrite genuine scientific research in areas supplemental to conventional medicine. To these ends, this book is written.