Losing the War against Cancer: Who's to Blame and what to do about it

Abstract

In 1971, the U.S. Congress launched a War on Cancer. Eighteen years and billions of dollars later, the United States is still in the grips of a cancer epidemic–and the number of victims grows every year. Much of the money has been squandered on a fruitless search for cancer “cures.” Little has been done to prevent exposure to carcinogenic chemicals in the environment, despite ample evidence that chemical pollution of our air, water, food, and the workplace is the major cause of cancer. On the contrary, government, industry, and a small coterie of scientists have combined to stymie efforts to introduce preventive measures, such as strict pollution control standards. But cancer remains a preventable disease. It is up to citizens to push for action.