Comments on: Nixon’s other war http://blog.longnow.org/2010/02/16/nixon%e2%80%99s-other-war/ The Official Weblog of The Long Now Foundation and Friends Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:43:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Markus G. http://blog.longnow.org/2010/02/16/nixon%e2%80%99s-other-war/comment-page-1/#comment-18580 Markus G. Fri, 02 Apr 2010 08:32:09 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/?p=1656#comment-18580 The failure in the war on cancer is greatly exagerated. Rates of cancer incidence follow a sort of bath-tub curve similar to the "infant mortality" and "wear-out" of mehanical parts or electrical circuits. The risk of cancer starts small for babies, goes down to a very low background rate of almost nothing and after your thirties or so it runs away exponentially with advancing age. What that means is that if you don't die from something else first you'll probably die of cancer. Well, we've done a fairly good job preventing deaths from the "something else" category. On average you're going to live longer and be more likely to die from cancer. If you look at survival rates for cancer in young adults and children there has been a HUGE improvement since the 1950's. E.g. http://www.forschenheiltkrebs.eu/public/img/non_layout/projekt/DIRECT_ueberlebensraten_english_WR_101208.jpg If you look at cancer survival rates as a whole, the picture is not as good: http://rex.nci.nih.gov/NCI_Pub_Interface/raterisk/rates28.html Why is that? Because old farts are more fragile than young adults; there is a signficant probability they won't survive a 5 year period even absent the cancer, chemotherapy and harsh radiotherapy(which is basically cycling in and out of radiation poisioning, even though you try to keep exposure in healthy tissue to a minimum). The failure in the war on cancer is greatly exagerated.

Rates of cancer incidence follow a sort of bath-tub curve similar to the “infant mortality” and “wear-out” of mehanical parts or electrical circuits. The risk of cancer starts small for babies, goes down to a very low background rate of almost nothing and after your thirties or so it runs away exponentially with advancing age.

What that means is that if you don’t die from something else first you’ll probably die of cancer. Well, we’ve done a fairly good job preventing deaths from the “something else” category. On average you’re going to live longer and be more likely to die from cancer.

If you look at survival rates for cancer in young adults and children there has been a HUGE improvement since the 1950′s.

E.g. http://www.forschenheiltkrebs.eu/public/img/non_layout/projekt/DIRECT_ueberlebensraten_english_WR_101208.jpg

If you look at cancer survival rates as a whole, the picture is not as good:

http://rex.nci.nih.gov/NCI_Pub_Interface/raterisk/rates28.html

Why is that? Because old farts are more fragile than young adults; there is a signficant probability they won’t survive a 5 year period even absent the cancer, chemotherapy and harsh radiotherapy(which is basically cycling in and out of radiation poisioning, even though you try to keep exposure in healthy tissue to a minimum).

]]> By: Ed McGuigan http://blog.longnow.org/2010/02/16/nixon%e2%80%99s-other-war/comment-page-1/#comment-18170 Ed McGuigan Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:49:58 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/?p=1656#comment-18170 I must confess to being a little ignorant as regards cancer. However, I think the far greater human tragedy is our mass cluelessness about how to live life happily. I know this is a little woolly but it seems to me that if we concentrated our energies in encouraging healthier more fulfilling living, liberating ourselves from the unnecessary stresses of life and learning to accept life as it is, we would get a lot closer to eliminating cancer than by declaring "war" on it along with every other thing we go to war with. I must confess to being a little ignorant as regards cancer. However, I think the far greater human tragedy is our mass cluelessness about how to live life happily. I know this is a little woolly but it seems to me that if we concentrated our energies in encouraging healthier more fulfilling living, liberating ourselves from the unnecessary stresses of life and learning to accept life as it is, we would get a lot closer to eliminating cancer than by declaring “war” on it along with every other thing we go to war with.

]]> By: Kent Corbell http://blog.longnow.org/2010/02/16/nixon%e2%80%99s-other-war/comment-page-1/#comment-18168 Kent Corbell Thu, 18 Feb 2010 09:10:20 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/?p=1656#comment-18168 Also of promise is increasing information on how lifestyle and diet contribute to cancer, which is distinct from reducing it's risk. i.e. we know increasingly more via science and research that some aspects of modern 'progressive' society seem to cause our bodies to become cancerous. See Michael Pollan on processed and chemical foods. See Martin Seligman on personal outlook and perspective. We may someday be able to quantitatively measure a mental, emotional, spiritual, or other health factor like we now measure cholesterol levels. Also of promise is increasing information on how lifestyle and diet contribute to cancer, which is distinct from reducing it’s risk. i.e. we know increasingly more via science and research that some aspects of modern ‘progressive’ society seem to cause our bodies to become cancerous. See Michael Pollan on processed and chemical foods. See Martin Seligman on personal outlook and perspective. We may someday be able to quantitatively measure a mental, emotional, spiritual, or other health factor like we now measure cholesterol levels.

]]> By: Rafe Furst http://blog.longnow.org/2010/02/16/nixon%e2%80%99s-other-war/comment-page-1/#comment-18167 Rafe Furst Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:45:11 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/?p=1656#comment-18167 This TEDMed video of David Angus just posted is the best I've seen at framing the problem. If there is a Long News story about cancer, this is it: http://www.ted.com/talks/david_agus_a_new_strategy_in_the_war_on_cancer.html This TEDMed video of David Angus just posted is the best I’ve seen at framing the problem. If there is a Long News story about cancer, this is it:

http://www.ted.com/talks/david_agus_a_new_strategy_in_the_war_on_cancer.html

]]> By: Ben http://blog.longnow.org/2010/02/16/nixon%e2%80%99s-other-war/comment-page-1/#comment-18166 Ben Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:37:26 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/?p=1656#comment-18166 Should we cure cancer? I've lost people I care about to cancer, but death is necessary. Cancer isn't contagious and it generally strikes people in the last third of their life. If we cure it, we take away one of nature's most effective means of population control. As much as I appreciate people's desire to overcome death and sickness, it seems like the path we're on now is going to lead to a small, exceptionally long-living, mostly white post-industrial society that survives mostly by the labor of a short-lived, non-white under-developed society. Should we cure cancer? I’ve lost people I care about to cancer, but death is necessary. Cancer isn’t contagious and it generally strikes people in the last third of their life. If we cure it, we take away one of nature’s most effective means of population control. As much as I appreciate people’s desire to overcome death and sickness, it seems like the path we’re on now is going to lead to a small, exceptionally long-living, mostly white post-industrial society that survives mostly by the labor of a short-lived, non-white under-developed society.

]]> By: TS http://blog.longnow.org/2010/02/16/nixon%e2%80%99s-other-war/comment-page-1/#comment-18160 TS Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:25:49 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/?p=1656#comment-18160 Amidst all the microchips and nanotech and gene sequencing, let's not ignore the possibilities offered by more ancient active ingredients: Could Frankincense Revolutionise Cancer Treatment? http://heritage-key.com/blogs/veigapaula/could-frankincense-revolutionise-cancer-treatment Amidst all the microchips and nanotech and gene sequencing, let’s not ignore the possibilities offered by more ancient active ingredients:

Could Frankincense Revolutionise Cancer Treatment?
http://heritage-key.com/blogs/veigapaula/could-frankincense-revolutionise-cancer-treatment

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