This year’s Super Bowl had its customary hype around the commercials. There were some great ones, some that were so-so, and some that were just plain bad. A few were, in my opinion, a bit misleading.
Pfizer put out an ad with a kid leaving a hospital dancing and shadowboxing with boxing gloves and shoes on, as he is cheered on by a crowd along the street, all the way home, where he is met with a big hug by his mother…. while the song “Mama Gonna Knock You Out” plays in the background. At the end… big bold words then slam onto the screen stating, “Hey cancer, we’re gonna knock you out.” Also appearing on the screen was their so-called mission… “fighting for 8 cancer breakthroughs by 2030.” With cancer’s absolute devastation on SO MANY lives for SO MANY years, and with Pfizer’s 175-year history of making drugs and their failure, to date, to make an impact on that devastation… I’m not optimistic.
Another drug ad, put out by Novartis… yes, the one with all the boobs…emphasizes better screening for breast cancer. But of course, they want more screening. They make drugs that treat breast cancer. More diagnosed cases of breast cancer mean more drugs sold. Drugs that treat cancer… don’t cure it. At least they aren’t misleadingly boasting a passion to “knock cancer out.”
While early detection is better than late detection, it’s still not prevention. With prevention being the ultimate goal… or at least it SHOULD be the ultimate goal… prevention does not make drug companies any money.
A miniscule amount of money goes into the study of cancer prevention. Wouldn’t it make great sense to know why cancer starts in the first place? With the rapid rise in cancer rates, we can’t blame genes, because our genes haven’t changed. And if the genes haven’t changed, they can’t take the rap for all the cancer these past several decades. Most people are surprised to learn that approximately 5% of all cancers are genetic. Only 5%!
And a lack of medications is not responsible for all the cancer. We’ve had more drugs in the past several decades than ever before. If drugs were the answer, we would have wiped out cancer decades ago.
If it’s not the genes causing cancer’s explosive presence, or the lack of more medications, it must be the changes in our environment, our behaviors, and our lifestyle choices. Guess what Big Pharma does nothing with? Environment, behaviors, and lifestyle choices.
I do believe cancer treatments should be pursued. I am not anti-medicine. It surely has its place. But medicine alone will NEVER contain, cure, or eliminate cancer’s continued wrath. And it is extremely disappointing to see that most people are hanging onto the false idea that a cure for cancer is on the horizon. It is not. With local and national events (like runs, rides, and swims for the cure), professional athletes wearing a bunch of pink (shoes, gloves, and uniforms), and fundraisers galore, all raising billions of dollars and endless awareness, it’s time to realize our strategies are not working. Remember, very little of any cancer money raised goes to prevention. And as far as awareness goes, I think we’re aware. The loss of our loved ones has opened our eyes much wider than pink ribbons and rubber bracelets.
Why am I so suspicious of these drug companies? Even bitter? Because they continue to over-promise and under-deliver. They continue to manipulate data to make their drugs look better and safer than they actually are. They have failed to improve the health and wellbeing of America. They have had huge fines and penalties (billions of dollars) for committing crimes that include bribery, Medicare fraud, pushing drugs for things they were not studied for or approved for, and more. I could go on.
What’s the point of this article? To remind you to be careful believing what you see and read. A few well done ads during the Super Bowl might suck you back into the misleading idea that the drug companies are on the verge of curing cancer. Motivating music, well-choreographed scenes, and emotional messaging are uplifting and encouraging, but the best chance we have of really impacting cancer starts with eliminating toxins in our food, water and air. Combine that with eating whole, real, organic foods, regular exercise, better management of stress, more consistent and deeper sleep, and more meaningful relationships and work (all of which allow your body to function better, stay stronger, and heal faster), and we’ll see a real shift in cancer rates. Big Pharma’s mission? To make more money… definitely not to cure anything.
