Dancing & Dough-Is Cancer Really All About Making Money?

We've all heard it: modern medicine won't cure cancer because there's too much money to be made in treatment!

Is this true? I dunno. Probably the only people who really DO know this are the researchers searching for a cure.

Yet, I think we all know someone who has had cancer and seen the mountains of money spent in treatment; radiation, chemo, surgery, etc. No doubt about it-cancer is expensive.

So, I take this with a grain of salt (as you should, too), but I saw something on the news this morning that kinda made me cringe.

On Fox News, one of their morning show guests was a current finalist on Dancing With The Stars. I didn't catch her name, but I believe she's a comedian. Some sort of celebrity or (gasp!) she wouldn't be considered a star.

So, in a search for topics, one of the questions posed to the star was this: New research says we could have a cure for cancer in as little as three years. What do you think?

Really, who cares what she thinks? She's not a health care professional or anyone who has an expertise in anything cancer related. Yet, she gave an interesting answer (which I'll paraphrase):

"Let's just be real...as long as there's more money in treatment than there is in a cure, I think we won't see a cure brought to the public."

Does her statement have any validity? Look at the points above, but let's not give too much creedence here.

But, what does this notion mean to a patient? What does a patient currently receiving chemo think about this idea that their cancer won't be cured because, as they get the chemo and are nauseous and worried about their survival, there are people milking the patient's bank account, purely out of greed?

I can't speak for every patient, but frankly, I'd feel a little deceived. Scratch that, I'd be pissed. I think we ALL would be hacked off if this notion turns out to be true. Still, a statement like the star made leaves a patient wondering and discouraged and potentially angry.

If a patient is undergoing a potentially life threatening disease, don't they already have enough things to worry and fret about?

If you believe this notion of cancer is true...keep it to yourself. And especially keep it to yourself if you're intimately involved with a person undergoing cancer treatment. They have enough to worry about already.