# Would big business not want a cure for cancer because the treatment brings in so much money? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 4, 2013, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-big-business-not-want-a-cure-for-cancer-because-the-treatment-brings-in-so-much-money/665348 "2013-08-04T20:10:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-big-business-not-want-a-cure-for-cancer-because-the-treatment-brings-in-so-much-money/665348/81 "2013-08-05T19:22:40Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > \ ***Der Trihs** ’ remark is reminiscent of the ramblings of the people who tell us that vaccines are part of a Big Pharma world depopulation conspiracy. It never seems to occur to them that global genocide is a lousy business strategy. You mean… _ **Resident Evil** _ lied? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-big-business-not-want-a-cure-for-cancer-because-the-treatment-brings-in-so-much-money/665348/82 "2013-08-05T19:30:53Z")
I stopped reading after I saw the name “Mercola” in the OP. Joseph Mercola is nothing but a wooish huckster salesman masquerading as a legitimate doctor. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-big-business-not-want-a-cure-for-cancer-because-the-treatment-brings-in-so-much-money/665348/83 "2013-08-05T19:55:00Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > Different diets different responses. It is not a matter of starvation and food, okay. > Cures are profit motivated. There is no profit when the cure is change of lifestyle. Yes, no one could possibly make money selling a healthier lifestyle. That’s why 8 of the top 20 books on the New York Times [Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous Bestseller List](http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2013-08-11/advice-how-to-and-miscellaneous/list.html) are about diets. That’s why Kevin Trudeau’s quack lifestyle change books about natural cures sold multi-millions of copies. Even if there is a lifestyle change that could cure or prevent cancer, it’s doubtful that we could get the population as a whole to follow it. We can’t even get everyone to stop smoking, almost 50 years after they figured out a simple lifestyle change that could dramatically reduce your chance of getting lung cancer. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-big-business-not-want-a-cure-for-cancer-because-the-treatment-brings-in-so-much-money/665348/84 "2013-08-05T21:10:59Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > I have the biology degree, and you? I have no interest in nor patience sufficient to compel me to dive into yet another session of banging my head against yet another internet self-professed expert, so I’ll limit my contribution here to this: I have a degree in microbiology. I worked for six years in a medical laboratory doing clinical genetic testing for various types of cancer. I’m now finishing up a PhD in biology and have taken several courses in cancer biology. Everything you’ve said is complete shit. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-big-business-not-want-a-cure-for-cancer-because-the-treatment-brings-in-so-much-money/665348/85 "2013-08-05T21:37:20Z")
> [@](#): > > It is written by a medical doctor, and he says if we take away cancers groceries it will starve. It provides many links to research that supports this position. This is where you prove that you are unable to read. There are many links back to Dr. Mercola’s “articles” but I can’t seem to find any links to research supporting his opinions. Please supply an example of such a link. As my credentials I submit my medical degree. As an Internist I make absolutely no profit from my patients having cancer. I would do much better to have them live longer and be healthier rather than be treated by an Oncologist instead of myself. ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-big-business-not-want-a-cure-for-cancer-because-the-treatment-brings-in-so-much-money/665348/86 "2013-08-05T21:41:10Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > As an Internist I make absolutely no profit from my patients having cancer. I would do much better to have them live longer and be healthier rather than be treated by an Oncologist instead of myself. Do you make money from the prescriptions you do write? ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-big-business-not-want-a-cure-for-cancer-because-the-treatment-brings-in-so-much-money/665348/87 "2013-08-05T21:48:17Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > Do you make money from the prescriptions you do write? No. The insurance companies do track and report what percentage of generics I use and some do provide incentives for prescribing generics where they are available but in general what I make is completely independent of what the medication I prescribe cost. It is in my best interest to keep costs as low as possible for my patients. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-big-business-not-want-a-cure-for-cancer-because-the-treatment-brings-in-so-much-money/665348/88 "2013-08-05T22:42:51Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > \*"In 2011, Mercola announced the formation of Health Liberty, a nonprofit coalition whose goals include promoting organic foods and targeting fluoridation, vaccination, genetically modified foods, and the use of amalgam fillings [9]. \* It’s like they built him just to be our own chew toy! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-big-business-not-want-a-cure-for-cancer-because-the-treatment-brings-in-so-much-money/665348.md?page=4)