125 Cancer 'Cures' That the FDA Calls Fake

By Katherine Hobson

Posted: June 18, 2008

People with cancer, especially the more intractable varieties, are often desperate. And where there are desperate patients, fraudsters will follow. The Food and Drug Administration yesterday warned 25 companies and individuals, which collectively market 125 products, to stop advertising them as cancer "cures," since there's no evidence that they can cure, prevent, or treat the disease.

The products aren't necessarily new. For example, hucksters have been peddling shark cartilage and coral calcium as cure-alls for years. (The Federal Trade Commission nailed Kevin Trudeau in 2004 for promoting coral calcium and banned him from infomercials; he shifted his marketing efforts to books.) But the Internet makes it easy to market and distribute this stuff. And the problem isn't likely to go away. There's no guarantee that a company won't just close down and set up business under another name.

So despite government efforts, the burden will largely rest on consumers. How can you tell when a claim is fraudulent? The FDA offers this list of warning signs:

  • Statements that the product is a quick and effective cure-all or a diagnostic tool for a wide variety of ailments.
  • Suggestions that a product can treat or cure serious or incurable diseases.
  • Claims such as "scientific breakthrough," "miraculous cure," "secret ingredient," and "ancient remedy."
  • Impressive-sounding terms, such as "hunger stimulation point" and "thermogenesis" for a weight loss product.
  • Claims that the product is safe because it is "natural."
  • Undocumented case histories or personal testimonials by consumers or doctors claiming amazing results.
  • Claims of limited availability and advance payment requirements.
  • Promises of no-risk, money-back guarantees
  • Promises of an "easy" fix for problems like excess weight, hair loss, or impotency.

Other resources are also available. Quackwatch has amassed a lot of information on questionable cancer therapies. And the Canadian government earlier this year launched Project False Hope, which aims to reduce cancer-related online health fraud. Two nifty elements: an interactive feature that dissects a (fake) website to show what tactics scammers use, and a health fraud awareness quiz. Lastly, there's the low-tech approach: Run products by your doctor to vet the marketing claims before you buy or use them.

deep news cap

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leallutz of IA @ Nov 23, 2009 19:31:26 PM

FDA and lobbyists

MY WIFE HAD CANCER.THATS RIGHT HAD.I WAS WITH HER EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.SHE IS NOW WRITING A BOOK ABOUT WHAT SAVED HER.FDA WASNT APART OF THAT.FDA IS CONTROLLED BY LOBBYISTS AND PRESSURE FROM HUGE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES.IT GETS WORSE. THE VERY DOCTORS WE GO TO FOR HELP ARE ALSO CONTROLLED BY THESE COMPANIES IN TWO WAYS.

FIRST OF ALL THE COMPANIES PRESSURE THE FDA TO APPROVE THEIR DRUG EVEN THOUGH THERE MAY BE SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS. THEN THE COMPANIES PRESSURE THE DOCTORS TO PRESCRIBE THESE DRUGS. EVEN WHEN SIMPLE DIET CHANGES MAY DO THE SAME THING A DRUG IS PRESCRIBED. NOW SECONDLY IF THE DOCTOR DOESNT PRESCRIBE THE DRUG THAT IS (PROTOCOL) THEN THE DOCTOR IS OPENING THEMSELVES UP FOR LOSING THEIR MALPRACTICE INSURANCE AND BEING SUED. NOW I FIGURED THIS OUT FAIRLY QUICKLY DURING MY WIFES PROCESS. I GOT DOCTORS TO THE SIDE WHERE NOBODY COULD HEAR OUR CONVERSATIONS AND JUST ASKED THEM WHAT THEY WOULD DO IF IT WAS THEIR SISTER OR MOM.ONE DOCTOR THAT HAD JUST TOLD MY WIFE AND I IN HIS OFFICE THAT WE SHOULD USE THIS ONE VERY POTENT DRUG, HE IMMEDIATELY TOLD ME WHEN WE WERE ALONE THAT HE WOULD NEVER GIVE THAT DRUG TO HIS RELATIVES.SO WHY WOULD HE SAY THAT IN HIS OFFICE?BECAUSE HE HAS JUST SPENT 10-15 YEARS GETTING HIS LICENSE TO PRACTICE.HE CANT GO AGAINST WHAT IS CONSIDERED PROTOCOL AND LOSE WHAT HE HAS ACHIEVED.

THIS SYSTEM IS FLAWED. DONT GET ME WRONG THERE ARE SOME TREMENDOUS MEDICINES THAT ARE PRESCRIBED. MANY LIFE SAVING MEDICINES THAT HAVE INCREASED OUR LIFE SPANS,HOWEVER NOT CONSIDERING HOLISTIC REMEDIES IS CRAZY. HOW DO U THINK SOME OF THE CURES AND MEDICINES WERE DISCOVERED.FDA NEEDS TO AT LEAST HAVE A DEPARTMENT THAT RESEARCHES NATURAL REMEDIES NOT JUST CALLS DOCTORS QUAKES THAT USE THEM.

TOM of IN @ Oct 26, 2009 02:44:51 AM

CANADIAN" FDA" NO BETTER

Whenever the US FDA bans a substance like Red Rice Yeast, Canada follows suit. I had heavy metal poisoning from eating too much seafood..There is no doubt. I had all the symptoms and more.. High blood pressure very sore limbs..gout {from uric acid} Arthritic joints and kneecaps.. twitching right eye and a host of eye floaters { thread like cobwebs} and a central clear patch in my right eye that was very scary. At the age of 45 I had perfect blood pressure, in fact better, 117/76. 11 years later, doing all the things I always have..walk, swim,light excercise, my blood pressure soared to 155/96..my heart pounded from time to time, for no reason. My hair was turning grey very fast, and my eye lash's were falling out. My teeth and gums were bad, loose teeth, and awful gums. My soles on my feet where getting thick, and I had gout so bad in my left toe, I could hardly walk. All the symptoms of heavy metal and PCB poisoning, came on slowly, as I always ate fruits and organic salads daily.I would steam bath regularily, but when I switched eating sushi to strictly sashimi 3-4 times a week, with-in 6 months I went from feeling crappy, to near death. The doctors would have perscribed most like allipurinol, colichine, celebrex {arthritis} and zocor {high cholesterol} and God knows what else.. I fixed it all using Cilantro, apple cider vinegar, fresh organic berries, wild blackberries, from my garden, wild mint leaf. wild lemon balm. and Greens + smoothie drink, as it contains chlorella and other greens known to detoxify metals and other poisons. 4 months later, and I feel like a new man.grey hair is disappearing {at age 56} my eyye lash's are lush and thick again.No0 more arthritic kneecaps..My left arm so sore I could barely use it has regained 85% of its mobility and any pain is minor and seems to be less each week. No more gout, no more heavy leg, or numbing of the limbs..My chest cleared up and my breathing is as good and clear as ever. No more racing heart and my blood pressure has normalized itself. I ate walnuts and brazil nuts as well. I did not use one perscription drug and happy to say the whole 4 months of wellness cost app $200, in natural aids and Greens +..Not advertising their product just used it and I"m 1000% better. God answered my prayer when all else failed.I no longer eat seafood.Maybe in a year or so I might again eat wild salmon in limited quantities.I will never eat tuna fish again..EVER>> From Canada but they need a state wash is close..Bon Appetite

bill of WA @ Aug 03, 2009 16:42:31 PM

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