SecretHistoryoftheWaronCancer

Fromtheacclaimedauthorof"WhenSmokeRanLikeWater",isasearingandrevelatoryaccountofhowtheWaronCancerhasbeendistortedbyeconomicinterests.Evenbeforeitsofficiallaunchmorethanthreedecadesago,theWaronCancerwasfightingmanyofthewrongbattles,withthewrongweaponsandthewrongleaders.Littlehaschangedsince.Conceivedinexplicitlymilitaryterms,thecampaignagainstcancerhasalwaysbeenaboutdefeatinganexistingenemy-detecting,treatingandcuringthedisease.Thecampaignhashardlyaddressedthebasiccausesofthediseasesuchastobacco,theworkplaceofthegeneralenvironment;proofthattheworldinwhichweliveandworkhasalottodowithwhetherwegetcancerwaseitheroverlookedorsuppressed,oftenbypeoplewhohadamajoreconomicinterestinmakingthishappen.Thishasbeennoaccident.TheWaronCancerhasbeendirected,fromthebeginning,byleaderswhocamefromindustriesthatgeneratedahostofcancer-causingmaterialsandproducts,orwhocontrolledfirmsthatprofiteddirectlyfromcancertreatment.Theireconomicinterestslayinmakingthediseaselessdeadly,butneverinpreventingitsoccurrence."TheSecretHistoryoftheWaronCancer"shows,decadebydecade,howthisleadershipactedtopreventresearchonpreventionfromeverbeingdone-or,oncedone,fromevergainingwidespreadcirculationoraffectingeithermedicalpracticeorgovernmentpolicy.Filledwithcompellingpersonalitiesandnever-before-revealedinformation,thisisthestoryofamajorpublichealtheffortdivertedanddistortedforprivategain.