We would like to think that when we take a shower, shampoo our hair, or apply makeup, we are doing so without inflicting harm to ourselves. Being clean and pretty should not oblige us to increase our risk of cancer.
More than 40 years after the war on cancer was declared by President Richard Nixon in 1971, we are not much closer to preventing the disease. The National Cancer Institute has spent some $90 billion on research and treatment during that time. When have Americans ever waged such a long, drawn-out and costly war, with no end in sight?
The system designed to study, diagnose and treat cancer in the United States is broken, and it is in urgent need of reform.
Prevention of cancer should be a national goal.
Government leaders, researchers, physicians, the pharmaceutical industry, cancer advocates, and many other stakeholders all have a key role in promoting a safer, healthier environment, better nutrition, increased physical activity, and a new emphasis on prevention in cancer research.
