The health care crisis in this country is a monster, like one of those mythical giant squids that could grab a sailing vessel, wrap its tentacles around it, and pull it to the bottom of the sea. President Obama’s message is that the U.S. economy is that ship. Without reform, health care costs will sink us in the near future. Yet it’s no surprise that Congress can’t find a solution or that the public is deeply worried about the cost of reform. Each arm of this monster thinks it has a right to hold on. Doctors don’t want lower salaries. Pharmaceutical companies don’t want a flood of generic drugs from across the border. Lawyers and insurance companies fight for their share of premiums and court settlements. Patients don’t want reduced care.
In a televised town meeting aimed at selling his program, Obama rightly pointed out that Americans pay more for health care than anyone else in the world but don’t necessarily get more. One example is the estimated $700 billion dollars in unnecessary tests that doctors routinely run each year. As soon as he made the point, however, a doctor in the audience raised a familiar specter. If your wife or daughter had cancer, he said, would you tell them they can’t get the best care possible, no matter what the cost? It’s a fearful question, and frankly, the ace in the hole that mainstream medicine has been pulling for decades.
So which is worse, cancer or the huge cost of health care?
If we can set our fears aside, certain facts need to be faced. A recent European study on prostate cancer poked a hole in the need for early detection, a need that’s drummed into us constantly for every type of cancer and which costs billions every year in expensive tests. The new study “indicated that saving one man’s life from the disease would require screening about 1,400 men. But among those 1,400, 48 others would undergo treatments like surgery or radiation procedures that would not improve their health because the cancer was not life-threatening to begin with or because it was too far along,” to quote the New York Times. The same story covered an early-detection campaign known as “Check Your Neck” aimed at thyroid cancer. Yet this rare cancer kills only 1,400 people a year, and there’s no evidence that regular checkups for it save lives. The same holds true for ovarian, lung, and skin cancer. Considering all the factors, including side effects and risks of treatment, one expert in early detection gloomily declared, “There are five things that can happen as a result of screening tests, and four of them are bad.”
The one good outcome, finding a fatal cancer that responds well to treatment, is what Americans pay billions and billions of dollars in the hope of achieving.
So, will doctors back off on the standard PSA tests to detect prostate cancer, much less the protocols of radiation and surgery to treat it? Not unless a new system of health care emerges that reduces fear as well as costs. Thirty years ago I first entered alternative medicine with an emphasis on wellness, believing that it represented a new system. I still believe it does. Cancer, and the anxiety it induces, is a red herring. The mean adjusted age of death from all types of cancer — meaning how long the average patient survives before succumbing to the disease — has barely changed since the 1930′s for both men and women. With all the early detection and advanced treatments, a cancer patient today is by no means guaranteed to live longer than a cancer patient in our grandparents’ generation. That’s another fact we need to face.
The final fact is that American health care needs prevention more than anything else. The majority of medical costs go to treating three conditions: obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. As this society grows fatter, older, and less likely to exercise regularly, all three will rise, and yet sensible prevention would go a long way to halt or reverse that trend. A major type of diabetes, Type 2, is directly linked to obesity, so even though type 1 is incurable, maintenance and prevention would effectively fight the scourge of diabetes, not to mention the myriad secondary problems it causes.
The thing about a giant squid is that you can’t peel it off one tentacle at a time. You need to find a way to pull off every arm at once. In our current crisis, doctors and Congress cannot do the job. Vested interests will be fighting over health care for years to come. The public is right to worry that Obama’s promised reforms cannot be paid for without extra taxes, and even then the overall costs may not go down. But it’s the public that is best equipped to kill the monster, not by focusing on the war on cancer, gene therapy, heart bypass surgery, and the next miracle drug — these all cost a king’s ransom and are controlled by powerful interest groups — but by finally waking up and taking charge of our own health. The cry for preventive medicine and inexpensive natural treatments isn’t new or glamorous, yet we need to heed it now more than ever.
Published in the San Francisco Chronicle
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posted July 28, 2009 at 12:30 am
My husband accidently learned of his lung cancer at an early stage. At this point, conventional treatment has done nothing. He now has two spots on his liver. We are now consulting with an alternative doctor. At this point, my husband can eat, he couldn’t before and has a much better outlook. So far, in two sessions, we have met 3 people who have their cancer in remission. We met none in conventional treatment. It is really a shame that most doctors in our area will not at least combine alternative with conventional. One of the main changes is “eat healthy”. Simple
posted July 29, 2009 at 8:06 pm
I am so encouraged when someone like Chopra speaks the truth so loudly, eloquently and respectably. Here’s an MD who has moved for 30 years in the Alternative realm, and gives it the weight of a brilliant mind in its corner.
I had wanted to become a Doctor, but I could NOT in good conscience go down the road of what I saw was such a corrupted system. I still want to be a Doctor, but I think I will probably go for an ND or DAOM (Oriental Medicine).
Currently I’m a Holistic Nutritionist — and I’ll tell you the thing that baffles my mind so much. The sheer dearth of people who will not lift their little pinky to do anything preventative. They’ll do walks for cancer research fundraisers and donate here and there, and get their early detection tests, but they won’t cut down on alcohol, pay a few more $$ for Organic produce, eat things that don’t come in a box, or stop drinking and eating refined sugars.
As Chopra stated, the Obesity, Diabetes and Heart Disease are mostly preventable. I say “mostly” to give a margin of error, but you know what? Let’s be honest – travel anywhere else in the world and you won’t see the obesity or the preventable health problems you see here (Heart problems trace back to Sugar intake many times as well). And the hormonal problems with women? Sugar again.
I’m hoping to get amass some effective ways to motivate people to change soon because it has become depressing in my practice to see the “fight” that people put up when called upon for lifestyle changes. It truly is overwhelming when you’re faced with the resistance every day.
posted July 30, 2009 at 10:10 am
All days are created as good days. Now, what happens in a day we may allow to effect us, yet no matter how we view the events that happen, let us not forget not to give up hope and love. Bad things happen to good people, yet all days are good days and please don’t forget it.
posted March 5, 2011 at 9:47 am
I’m feel bad for all of you and I pray for all of you I havn’t
had check-up in 6 years ago The last time I’ve seen a dr. I had Hep-c
I hope its all gone, but the last year I have been really sick
lost 20 pounds in a month I have been layed off from my last job which
they didn’t offer ins and now its really sick what’s apeason to do so please pray for me too
posted March 5, 2011 at 10:09 am
I have always felt that insurance companies were really stupid when they refuse to cover any type of preventive medicines or treatments. My stepdad died of pancreatic cancer. He saw the doctor regularly all of his life and they misdiagnosed his cancer as a hiatal herniad and scheduled for surgery to take care of the heital hernia only to find out that he had pancreatic cancer and it had spread all the way up to his esophagus. Three weeks later he was dead and never even bEcamne strong enough to receive chemo treatments. I have often thought about if I was diagnosed with cancer…I do not think I would take the chemotherapy because the majority of people die from cancer anyway and it makes their last days worse. I only know of one person who has had cancer and lived through it and I have known at least twenty people who had cancer. I do not like to go to the doctor unless it is an absolute emergency because I have always believed a hospital or a doctors office is the best place to catch something and when everyones germs mix together they create viruses that dont even have names yet. Although I do smoke, otherwise I lead a pretty healthy lifestyle and have had very very few medical problems in my almost 50 years. I am the manager of a well known hotel chain and they do not even offer any type of insurance to me or any of my employees. I think that is terrible. Its a good thing I dont like to go to the doctor anwyway….Also, another reason I would not want to receive chemo treatments….why leave my family with a hugesmedical bill to remember me by!!!?????!!! I have spoken with many many Canadians who really like their medical program. The only drawback they have told me there is that since EVERYONE can receive medical care there are longer waiting lists for organ requests and of course for any type of surgery or even a simple doctors office visit. They truly like their medical plan and this is the type of plan Obama is trying to get for us. Many people put him down for it but I personally think it is one of the best things any person has tried to do for this nations people.
posted March 5, 2011 at 10:25 am
I wish there was more information easily and readily available on alternative medicines. I do believe in them. I have read the posts and felt as the individual on Cancer that said most people don’t survive so why do chemo. Those were my feelings, also. However, I am a Mayo Clinic success story with adjuvatant chemotherapy for an early Stage II aggressive breast cancer. After 18 chemo sessions, when ultrasounded prior to lumpectomy, there was no lump! We did the surgery to capture the periphery cells and only 16 cells were cancerous in the margin. I retained 99.9% of my breast and am in remission. I am not saying chemo was easy, it was not, and prior to this I always said I would never do chemo because my observance was no one made it through anyway. Well, I am living proof that that is not true. I do not normally participate in blogs and such, but did want to note this for others and posterity. Find a very good doctor team and trust them. You can win!
posted March 5, 2011 at 11:18 am
Thank you Dr Chopra for writing what is obvious to most who practice in our fragmented care system.
I would like to share my family history in for those who read comments. My mother is in remission from two cancers. She is a 19 years survivor of breast cancer and had surgery and chemotherapy for this. She subsequently developed lymphoma at age 80 and is in resmission thanks to another round of chemotherapy this time using a monoclonal antibody specific regimen. She is alive and well,nonobese and following a whole diet with moderate exercise. She is better functionally than most of her peers.
Her mother died this last year at 102 of a stroke. She was also a 30 plus years breast cancer survivor having surgery alone to cure her cancer.
My father had early dectection for a colon cancer for which surgery was curative in his seventies. He had prostate cancer detected by an abnormal PSA and had radiotherapy by way of a prostate seeding procedure and is also in remission without side effects from the therapy. Thanks to my mother’s health regimen, he is also following a “whole food” diet and increasing his activity. They are often mistaken for a couple 20 years younger. His mother also was blessed with longevity and died of a stroke at age 87.
Our system has worked well for my parents who are retirees from county employment who have both Medicare and a supplemental insurance.
I am blessed to be a primary care physician. Our medical/industrial complex is not designed well to address so many chronic illnesses that are either a direct result or worsened by poor lifestyle choices. Our society has also not made it easy to eat right or make regular activity an easy choice. It seems to me that our culture itself is ill and the less healthy choices are the path of least resistance for most people.
I serve at a government supported federal health clinic which exists to take care of the poor and underserved. People I care for need assistance with basic needs as food and housing. Thanks to programs there, I can usually obtain necessary medications and procedures for most of my patients.
There are no pills to cure our societies ills and values. There are no pills that I can give to make for meaningful employment with a living wage for my patients. There are no prescriptions that I can write that will put naturally grown food high in anti-oxidants on the dollar menu.
So I just listen, try to understand the environment in which my patients have to navigate, and assist in helping them make small possible changes to help improve their health and their lives.
I do believe that I am blessed to still have my parents alive and well in their 80′s due to the excellent medical care that they received and their lifestyle choices. Good care will need both skilled oncologists and individuals willing to make the hard but healthy choices rather than the easy and unhealthy choices in our environment.
God bless everyone’s choices today.
posted March 5, 2011 at 9:29 pm
My husbands psa went up to 11 before our primary Dr. sent him to a specialist. He went and had test and had prostate cancer, we had decided for him to have the seed implant and the Dr. he went to suggested surgery and gave us a tape to watch. He decided on the surgery and then radiation. The radiation did nothing for him and the surgery just took his man hood away. We have a friend that had the seed implant and is still living. The Dr. that let his psa go up to 11 should not be able to Dr. any more. We did not do anything to the Dr. as we didn’t believe in suing people. I’ve learned since then you don’t su for the money just to teach a Dr. not to do that again. Like I said she is still Doctoring. My husband lived 10yrs. He had a bad time for quite awhile. He passed away March 22, 2010 and I hope the Dr.’s that did that to him read this as they are still Doctoring. His last Dr. that he had kept him going while he was with him. Some Dr. should not even be allowed to Dr. I want everyone to Know it was Robert Lawler and she knows who she is that did not do the right thing. Her office is in Ormond Beach she was in Bunnell when she was our Dr. The other Dr. that did the Radiation is in Ormond and Daytona are was. Hope I never see them again. Now about me I’ve have Leukemia. Am in remission for the 2nd time and have done well, so chemo, mostly the Lord is good. If we all trusted in him things would go better. I like to choose Christian Dr.’s. I thank God for them.
posted March 6, 2011 at 12:55 am
I have been treated for cancer during the last 6 months. I detected the cancer on my own, only having a biopsy to prove what I already knew. My surgery and follow up treatments were not pleasant but necessary for me to live. I eat a good diet and exercise, have practiced meditation and yoga for years. Alternate treatments weren’t working for me and I did not cost the “system” thousands of dollars for unnecessary tests. You can’t say something like this article does and expect it to cover everybody. And, I would like to ask, how would you feel if you were one of the few THOUSAND people who found they were dying because cheap people like you don’t care for individual humans, just your wallet.
posted March 6, 2011 at 10:33 am
i think health care should be available to everyone that needs it and that we shouldnt have to fight for it my 20 year old son was diagnosed with an inoperable pontine glioma of the brain stem basically brain cancer he went through radiation and chemo at first we were denied coverage of the chemo due to the cost of the meds due to what and what not the state would pay i think all people should be able to have full coverage i had to fight for my sons insurance to pay cause we were told no money in state insurance to cover the treatments bull if obama would quit abusing the state payers money and lining his pockets with it so his wife can buy fancy things he needs to take a pay cut and put the money where it really belongs and quit cutting everything we the people need we need to elect someone that has been poor or that is and someone that wont lie to the people to get elected with fake promises the economy would be so much better and it wouldnt be where it is now i dont care what race he or she is if the promises that were made were kept the state wouldnt be the way it is now we would have the jobs we would all have good insurance the schools wouldnt have all the budget cuts theyve been having there would be more programs to help people get on their feet instead of on the street with their families no more broken promises obama give us the insurance we need and the jobs that you promised
posted March 6, 2011 at 12:26 pm
The debate is all focused on the wrong issue — TREATMENT.
We need to get to the root cause, but NOT LEGISLATE around it.
The heart of the issue is PREVENTION. And Americans hold the keys to their own destiny:
- regular exercise
- sufficient sleep
- connect with a higher power. There IS one, regardless of what you want to call it.
- adopt smart thoughtful food choices — INCLUDING avoiding all the “fake” food that Big Agriculture and Corporate Food manufacturers (NOTE —- the word MANUFACTURE)dump onto retailer shelves. If “food” is cheap, it is not real food.
Go with whole foods, non GMO, as natural as possible, grown/raised without drugs, pesticides, chemicals, etc.
EMBRACE healthy living choices and the “healthcare problem” will be resolved.
posted March 7, 2011 at 9:16 am
We must all come to recognize that death is a normal part of life. Prevention of disease (where possible) is reasonable and appropriate (e.g. vaccinations, lifestyle recommendations, public health,etc.). Prevention of some diseases, however, doesn’t mean that there won’t be some other disease to emerge as one ages. As life expectancy has gone up over the last century, cumulative adverse effects of lifestyle (smoking, bad diet, obesity), diseases of heart disease, diabetes, joint abnormalities and cancer have become the more common causes of death.
While some cancers are preventable (lung cancer by not smoking), and some are curable (Hodgkins and testicular), some are very difficult to treat and have very low cure or survival rates. Society must come to realize that not every disease is curable, and not every treatment failure is a medical failure, but a result of the nature of the disease and the state of our knowledge.
One’s best hope is to inherit genes that are not predisposed to cancer, to live a healthy life, and to find satisfaction in each day as it comes, and accept that there is that one last day.
posted March 7, 2011 at 1:49 pm
The monster we need to kill is the food industry who is allowed to poison us by the FDA. They poison us with pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and chemicals put into our food supply. Cows are being fed corn instead of grazing on their natural food. Corn is not cow feed. Chickens are plumped up to increase their breast size that they are not even able to walk due to oversized breasts. Drinks are advertised to give us energy that are loaded with crap that acidifies our system. When our bodies are not PH balanced we become a breeding ground for cancer. When your pool is not PH balanced it turns black. Our bodies are not different. Why is our government allowing this? Is it because they are benefiting? Your scratch my back and I will scratch yours.