Who needs enemies when there's family?

[Winston001]

Cancer is a generic name given to about 200 different types of unregulated cell growth. Normal cells divide and grow until they have repaired or replaced dead cells, then they stop. Cancerous cells keep right on going.

There can't be a single cure for cancer because it occurs in so many different ways, but eventually a range of cures will be found.

I seriously doubt that big pharma is suppressing medicines. If they were then Herceptin would not be available. A mate of mine has been employed researching a cure for arthritis for 20 years. That's 20 years of salaries and expensive laboratories...with no result.

[Daffyd]

By way of evidence without going into specifics... Cancer and things like diabetes, asthma, obesity, arthritis etc etc and all lumped together as diseases of affluence and occur more regularly in wealthy societies than in primitive ones. If you want to read about it try reading 'The China Study'..

What a coincidence! Funny that these are the most serious diseases of the affluent society and these are diseases that can be "controlled" with medication which only the affluent can afford. Note I said, "controlled"; curing would kill the goose that laid the golden egg.
Note also, that the common diseases prevalent in the third world countries have few or no drugs available... there would be no profit in that!

[imdying]

Note also, that the common diseases prevalent in the third world countries have few or no drugs available... there would be no profit in that!

What's your point? Companies have shareholders, shareholders expect to get paid. They don't get paid, nobody gets squat. They should be making unprofitable drugs for what? Out of the goodness of their hearts? To be nice neighbours?

[Daffyd]

What's your point? Companies have shareholders, shareholders expect to get paid. They don't get paid, nobody gets squat. They should be making unprofitable drugs for what? Out of the goodness of their hearts? To be nice neighbours?

There's a difference between reasonable and excessive profit. Why can't some of the excessive profits be channeled into providing cheap drugs for poorer countries. Has the idea of good PR died a natural death?

[imdying]

There's a difference between reasonable and excessive profit.

No there is not. Either they're providing a product at a price people will pay, or they're not. If they're not charging as much as they can get away with, they're just stupid.

Why can't some of the excessive profits be channeled into providing cheap drugs for poorer countries.

Because those poorer countries aren't shareholders, which is where excess profits should be channelled. It's a business, not a charity.

Has the idea of good PR died a natural death?

They don't need it, and why should they; they provide a service to their paying customers, which is the whole point of being in business.

[Daffyd]

No there is not. Either they're providing a product at a price people will pay, or they're not. If they're not charging as much as they can get away with, they're just stupid.

Because those poorer countries aren't shareholders, which is where excess profits should be channelled. It's a business, not a charity.

They don't need it, and why should they; they provide a service to their paying customers, which is the whole point of being in business.

I'm afraid we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

[imdying]

Sure... I'm not sure where you hippies get off giving away other peoples money though.

[Daffyd]

Sure... I'm not sure where you hippies get off giving away other peoples money though.

I've never been called that before. FYI I'm a 70yo middle-class white male; you know, the most discriminated against class; who spent all my working life, (until May this year), and paying tax; sometimes excessively. I am now happy to receive the govt superannuation which is now my only income. I chose to move to the Philippines so I could remarry and live closer to the two children that I sponsor.

Is that your idea of a hippie?

[imdying]

Why can't some of the excessive profits be channeled into providing cheap drugs for poorer countries.

Hippy behaviour.

Has the idea of good PR died a natural death?

Why don't you just call it karma and be done with it ya dirty hippy

[Ocean1]

It makes me so bloody angry to read this. To know there IS a cure for cancer, but big "Pharma" is sitting on it because there is no money in curing it! The bastards should all be lynched!

If you want to read about it try reading 'The China Study'..

I did. I found it difficult to understand, and went looking for some simpler correlation, and found this: http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/07/07/the...act-or-fallac/
Which treated the same data in a manner a statistician might better approve of. Certainly, as a read it seemed to be less stilted, and coincidentially dissagreed with most of the original study's findings.

[mashman]

It makes me so bloody angry to read this. To know there IS a cure for cancer, but big "Pharma" is sitting on it because there is no money in curing it! The bastards should all be lynched!

maybe big pharma aren't required at all and I believe that there were those before him, Dr. John HOLT being 1 and I'm pretty sure I saw something a couple of months ago that was discussing similar "technology" back in the 50's.

[Winston001]

maybe big pharma aren't required at all and I believe that there were those before him, Dr. John HOLT being 1 and I'm pretty sure I saw something a couple of months ago that was discussing similar "technology" back in the 50's.

Mashie: let us be serious for a moment. Cancer is no fun. I have watched family members die slowly from this insidious disease. One lady tried alternative therapies which cost her and her husband their life savings...and she died right on schedule 5 years - as the doctors predicted.

If there really was a miracle treatment out there medical researchers would have seized on it decades ago and it would be used in our hospitals. The rich and the powerful are just as vulnerable as you and I. There are no simple answers.