FTC Warns of Bogus Snake Oil Cancer Cures
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has charged 5 companies with making false and misleading claims about their products ability to cure cancers. They have also reached settlements with 6 additional companies. The FTC has been working in concert with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Canadian authorities to raise public awareness about the bogus cancer cures.
Snake Oil Crackdowns was a recent feature on Dr. Val and The Voice of Reason on Revolution Health. Urostream also weighed in with an editorial on the risks of alternative cancer treatments and it envoked a lot of excellent comments on the subject.
Regarding the FTC crackdown, Lydia Parnes, Director of the FTC’s bureau of consumer protection stated,
“There is no credible scientific evidence that any of the products marketed by these companies can prevent, cure, or treat cancer of any kind”
As a pharmacist I may be a little more bias of conventional verses alternative treatments. However, alternative treatments are a resonable option if:
- They do not cause harm to the patient
- They make the patient feel better
- They are used in conjunction with conventional therapy
Having faith in alternative treatments alone is a dangerous venture. Sure, there may be a report of someone’s cancer suddently diappearing because they ate the bark off of the tree in their yard but it is more of a miracle than a reliable cure. Likewise, you never hear the reports of how many others have died by simply relying on the alternative treatments. Just keep a sense of reality, if the claims sound too good, then it is probably not worth relying on them and risking your health.
Keep an eye out as the 5 unsettled cases are with: Omega Supply, San Diego, Calif.; Native Essence Herb Company, El Prado, N.M.; Daniel Chapter One, Portsmouth, R.I.; Gemtronics, Inc., Franklin, N.C., and Herbs for Cancer, Surprise, Ariz.
