“Is it true that Big Pharma hides the cure for cancer?”, “Do conspirators keep the cure for cancer secret?” You cannot imagine how often I answer these questions once I reveal my biologist background, especially my background in cancer research. I’ve learned to see these questions coming from kilometers (miles) away – and FYI, the questions are not always correlated with alcohol consumption.
Nevertheless, the short answer is “NO.” But that’s rarely enough to satisfy or convince anyone. So, I’ll highlight four reasons the claims of a supposed secret cancer cure are implausible (not probable). And, you know what? I’ll throw in a bonus point at the end, discussing why these conspiracy theories arise and how you can battle them. Alright.
The mathematical reason: Cancer is not one disease
Let’s start by exposing the mathematical fallacy: “they’re hiding the cure for cancer from you”. The argument’s premise suggests ONE hidden cure that could treat ONE disease. And the confusion starts.
I see why you’d think of cancer as one disease, like, for instance, malaria, salmonella, or AIDS. Things would’ve been so much easier that way, without a doubt.
one disease + one treatment = cured
But unfortunately, that pseudo-mathematical formula is flawed, and cancer is not one disease. Instead, cancer describes a group of diseases; it’s an umbrella term that defines the uncontrolled, continuous growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancer is a condition that affects different cell types or tissues, a condition that is caused by different factors and has different genetic characteristics (or mutations).
For example, compare leukemia and breast cancer. Both are cancers, but one is blood cancer, and the other is… well, you know… breast cancer. And not only do the two diseases affect different tissues, but they also carry different genetic mutations – in different genes.
The truth is that with more than 100 different types of human cancers, we’d need to develop various treatment strategies specific to the cancer type and many times combined with other treatments.
So, rather than drawing parallels between cancer and diseases like malaria, salmonella, or AIDS, from now on, compare it to the more general terms parasites, bacteria, or viruses. Each independent cause, inside its respective umbrella, needs a specific treatment. Ask yourself, “where’s the cure for the virus?“
The money reason: Who wouldn’t want to patent the cure for cancer?
“The reason Big Pharma hides the cure for cancer is… MONEY!” An argument that falls short of its logic. The idea claims that as long as the cure for cancer is hidden, patients will depend on Big Pharma’s palliative (symptom-relieving) treatments for life.
Even my fragile business mind cannot swallow this inconsistency. What company in its right mind wouldn’t want to possess a pill full of magic that cures cancer, a nonvanishing group of diseases?
Let’s, for a moment, imagine a nifty researcher in a classic white lab coat finally discovering that one and only cancer treatment that could cure and save millions of cancer patients. [keep in mind that this is not a real-case scenario, but let’s pretend for the sake of the premise].
You can sense that eureka moment this researcher feels, can’t you? The victorious feeling and the extended moment of glory that follows. The researcher raises the little pill between the index finger and the thumb and proudly gazes at the outcome. [Let’s keep pretending for a moment.]
With a newfound upright spine and a blown-up chest, the researcher approaches the CEO of Big Pharma [still fiction] to present his mind-blowing discovery: the cure of all cures. The CEO leans forward over his big desk and squints at the pill (still placed between the researcher’s index finger and thumb) while wiping the saliva off the left corner of his mouth. He looks at the researcher, and they share a silent moment. Total silence. Finally, the CEO collects his courage and clears his throat.
“Nah. Hide the pill. I don’t want to make money that way.”
And they walk to the closest forest to bury the little magic pill next to an old oak tree. The end.
Really? Well, no! That’s not how it plays out, but I can see what triggers these thoughts. People think of cancer the same way they think of parasites, viruses, or bacteria we’ve successfully treated. Heck, we eradicated smallpox in the 70s and are underway eradicating malaria.
Claims of one cure to treat them all are based on loose ideas and fiction. Instead, I invite you to look at it differently. Curing people with cancer doesn’t mean eradicating the disease. Cancer diseases are either inherited or caused by cancer-causing factors like sunlight, viruses, smoke, or other chemicals. You cannot eliminate the sun. Cancers will be prevalent in our lives; they will haunt every generation to come one way or another. And you’re telling me you have a curing remedy with constant demand, a non-exhausting trump card, and Holy Grail that you want to keep a secret?
Not a chance…
The competitive reason: Big Pharma is not a company
The name is catchy, and the idea is compelling – who doesn’t enjoy a juicy conspiracy theory? People love teasing their fears. You imagine a powerful and malevolent elite keeping a secret plot that could save lives if exposed to the public. (And it might happen.) But in this context, the fact is that Big Pharma is merely a collective definition of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies. You can be for or against the private drug industry; it doesn’t matter in this case. These companies are hungry for one thing and one thing only; like Barrett Strong, they want MONEY (that’s what they want).
I don’t know if they have secret meetings between pharmaceutical companies or cartel-like behaviors (I might investigate that in the future). But I imagine that as soon as one of these companies gets their paws on that magic cancer cure, with the potential to earn money from it – and I’m talking big bucks – they’ll keep that deal for themselves. No longer brothers in arms.
The overwhelming and emotional reasons: Too many participants will all be affected by cancer, one way or another. Who’d keep the cure for cancer secret?
This point could also be labeled “The sentimental reason”, which most people miss to consider. And yet, the answer is right in front of you every day; your friends and family. The Achille’s heel of cancer cure conspiracy theory is the scope of cancer, which almost guarantees that the disease will affect anybody, directly or indirectly.
While some scientists might consider themselves invincible or immortal (in their ivory tower), most have friends and family. The same is true for the upper management of big pharmaceutical companies. At one point or another in life, most of these individuals will, unfortunately, have a dear one affected by cancer. And, hey, what if they get cancer themselves? If a group of conspirators were trying to hide the cure for cancer, are you telling me they’d be persuasive enough to convince all these affected people – and even themselves – to shut the F up no matter what? Suicidal tendencies, anyone? As a researcher, CEO, or doctor, you’d have to be quite convinced and committed to keeping the secret.
Why do people still believe in the cure for cancer conspiracy?
Sure, we’ve seen several excellent arguments discrediting the cure for cancer conspiracy; super. But the key questions that can eradicate this fallacy once and for all remain unanswered, namely, “why do these conspiracy theories arise?” and “how do we battle them?”
Why do these conspiracy theories arise?
In a publication from 2017, Douglas et al. reviewed various psychological studies to identify the factors popularizing conspiracy theories. They conclude that these beliefs stem from the “promise to satisfy important social psychological motives that can be characterized as epistemic (e.g., the desire for understanding, accuracy, and subjective certainty), existential (e.g., the desire for control and security), and social (e.g., the desire to maintain a positive image of the self or group).”
When we don’t understand our surroundings, we still try to find explanations based on our limited information. A somewhat credible explanation can offer temporary relief when we don’t understand.
Now, to partially understand the cure for cancer conspiracy, we can glance at other diseases and their treatments. Science has “blessed” us with antibiotics and vaccinations to battle and even eradicate certain conditions (regionally and globally), think polio and smallpox. So then, why can’t we eliminate one of our biggest problems, one of the most common causes of death globally? You want answers, and you want them now!
Requiring quick answers attracts pseudoscientific characters lurking around the corner – or they’ll attract you. Because while accusing Big Pharma, in collusion with scientific researchers, of hiding the cure for cancer in the name of dirty money, guess who’s probably selling you something? It can be books, events, or esoteric healing. We’ve written a post about five common traits of pseudoscience (fake science); you can read it here.
Of course, ignorance, control, and conspiracy theorists explain one part of the issue because, like it or not, the pharmaceutical industry has done a pretty crap job of maintaining a trustworthy reputation. When I started thinking about a possible career in the private sector after my PhD, most people wondered how I’d feel working for the devil. Huh?
How do we battle these conspiracy theories?
Like pseudoscience, conspiracy theories contain elegantly built stories disguised in lab coats. Because although fighting against scientific consensus, these stories impress. The stories are captivating, convincing, and somewhat confusing. They’re sexy.
So, how do you fight such stories? With better stories. We have a full blog post about fighting pseudoscience with better stories that you can read here. In short, crushing the dogma of a believer with data and other evidence won’t convert them immediately. You’re breaking someone’s reality, which will inevitably elicit a counter-reaction (sometimes aggressive).
You need to plant a seed. We learned that from Michael Dahlstrom, PhD, at the EMBL 20th EMBL Science and Society Conference Science as Storytelling: From Facts to Fiction. In short, we don’t want to fight or debunk pseudoscientific stories; we want to replace them with new, better, and scientifically accurate narratives.
Now it’s time to gather all the information presented here and make a colorful story out of it.
Fun fact: The massive number of times that I’ve answered questions about a supposedly hidden cure for cancer is one of the key reasons I started this blog with my good friend Michael a while back. I’ve finally posted it!
Anyway, next time we’ll go back to talk a bit about the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. Last time we wrote about the R0 of COVID-19; this time, we’ll look at the disease in specific parts of the population. Or about toilet paper. We’ll see.
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The featured image was created by Eric Pintó
