The Secret History of the War on Cancer

The purpose of this book was not to document how many people have died of cancer or any other ailment. This book shows that even when epidemiology and animal studies clearly demonstrated the carcinogenic properties of various chemicals that in many cases this data was conveniently forgotten (at best) and actively buried (at worst). Mr. Kaufman says that the war on cancer has always been about finding ways to treat cancer. Perhaps, but anyone who has watched someone suffer from cancer (and who hasn't) would likely agree that preventing cancer would be a much better way to fight cancer than to solely focus on treatment. Why isn't prevention the focus of the war on cancer? The short version is because industry and government are working together to make sure the money keeps rolling in at the expense of everyone else. Davis cites examples of doctors and others who smoked and were in denial for decades about the fact that cigarette smoking causes cancer. Why? Because they either worked in the industry (and made money) or they simply didn't want to believe it. Just because you don't want to believe something doesn't negate overwhelming evidence to the contrary. This book shows how industry and government buried information or failed to act to prevent thousands of cancer deaths. What is even more frightening is that this is still occurring. Very few chemicals are tested by EPA before being approved for the market. Phthalates and BPA are in numerous products that we all use every day. Not only are these chemicals possible carcinogens, but as is becoming increasingly observed in both animal studies and also in humans, they disrupt hormone signaling. This is particularly disturbing in developing male fetuses in which they can have feminizing effects that can result in male deformities and eventual reproductive difficulties. The government wants iron-clad proof before banning these chemicals, but I believe that in the face of current data, reasonable doubt should be the criterion used. As Davis' book makes clear, government will not act unless it is financially advantageous to do so. As products containing banned (in the EU) chemicals continue to be sold in the US, we and our children are becoming the guinea pigs in one of the largest chemical experiments ever conducted. The more the government censors scientists, alters reports and refuses to believe ever-increasing scientific data on the dangers of chemicals we slather on our skin every day (among other things) the less safe we will be and we can expect the cancer rate to continue to increase.

In The Secret History on the War on Cancer, Dr. Davis opens the average reader's eyes to how the debate on cancer has been manipulated at numerous levels to delay efforts in reducing exposure to potentially harmful substances in our society. In this well written book, Dr. Davis compiles numerous stories to explain how researches have infused doubt into the debate on cancer as to prolong any action by government agencies. While it is apparent that Dr. Davis's book will be open to criticism, especially from her peers who have been compensated by the manufacturers of well known cancerous products (asbestos, tobacco, etc.,), she should be thanked for having the courage to create a manuscript that challenges the conventional wisdom on how we as a society use epidemiological studies to determine risk: a method that simply counts the dead and does little in preventing illness. Matter of fact, our reliance on these studies is quite revealing. In The Secret History, Dr. Davis does an exceptional job at illuminating how biased research is manipulated in the United States by corporations to delay any action in preventing exposure and prolong profits. While not everyone may agree with Davis's book, this book is a must read for those wanting to understand the current debate in the United States regarding environmental health and how we as a society are not taking a preventive approach to cancer, but instead a reactive one that forces us to fight a disease that many times could have been avoided in the first place.

After 50 years of seeing cancer causing substances in the workplace and the environment being swept under the rug and causes of cancer being conveniently blamed on tobacco as a smoke screen by mega-corporations (blaming cancer on a person's lifestyle was used to avoid lawsuits). I am ecstatic to see this wonderful expose on how industry has kept the main causes of cancer under wraps and away from the public view and regulations. Working for a large oil company as their environmental chemist I finally resigned in disgust (if you don't record chemical caused illnesses there is no documentation that the chemical in question is hazardous)only to find I was blackballed from industry. I only have one correction to make in this excellent book exposing the cancer cover up of industry. In the first chapter Devra states that industry learned from the tobacco companies how to cover up the hazards of their products. This is wrong--industry had been covering up the hazard of their cancer causing products as soon as they found out they were hazardous--long before cigarette companies began their cover up and later in the 1970's tobacco became a convenient scapegoat for industrial airborne chemicals such as dust-born DDT and gasoline fumes found at the pump. I am amazed she got her books published. I hope she continues her crusade--She has saved thousands of lives by now by revealing to the public the hazards of industrial substances by raising public awareness.

I am ordering this book after listening to Devra Davis' interview by Terry Gross on NPR. She provides extremely intelligent, scientifically sound, and reasonable advice about what environmental toxins lead to cancer and why. Recently my older son stated that he had read a summary of research claiming that aspertame was safe for consumption and did not cause cancer. Davis corrects this claim by pointing out that the studies done did not span a long enough period of time to detect cancer. Aspertame often takes up to twenty or forty years to cause brain cancer. This is the kind of essential information we need to know in order to make informed decisions about what we take into our bodies, use in our houses (she also talked about cleaning products), and allow medical practitioners to do with our bodies (for example, it is not wise to allow young girls to have CT scans because of their effect on developing breasts unless health conditions are dire). I highly recommend this book.

I am ordering this book as I listen to Devra Davis on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross. Dr. Davis is very articulate, reasoned, and well researched. This is not a shrill environmentalist rant, but a measured critique of the science behind the products we use every day. If you are uncertain about whether to purchase the book, I highly recommend listening to this interview on the NPR website.