The Cancer Conspiracy

My film will be based on an alleged 'cancer conspiracy' which suggests a cure for many forms of cancer was discovered around the 1950's but due to the government generating millions of pounds from treating patients with the disease, the cure had been kept secret or used in other medicines. I have found a couple of useful links and videos explaining the idea in more depth.

References and Useful Links

 http://www.worldwithoutcancer.org.uk/ultimateconspiracy.html

http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/keyfacts/

http://www.worldwithoutcancer.org.uk/aboutb17.html





A similar theory linked with this is that a vitamin named B-17 which can be found in apricot seeds and other substances can prevent cancer developing or can even cure it for victims suffering from it. There is a theory that this supplement has been banned for distribution by government by claiming it as a 'new unsafe drug'. The reason behind this is that the Government and pharmacists would lose out on money in the form of treatments and donations made by the public for research.



Understanding the illness
Due to the sensitivity of the disease and the large amount of people who suffer from it, it is important to understand the illness and portray an accurate account of someone who may suffer from it.
There are over 200 types of cancer all with an individual name and treatment. 1 in 3 people are likely to develop the disease which is based on the statistic that every death in the UK in 1999 showed that 220,000 people - some 35% of the 630,000 total deaths - had previously been found to have the disease. The rise of people developing the disease (thought to be increasing by 3.2% every year) is thought to have been a factor of an ageing population, increase in obesity and it developing in later life with people who smoke. From 2008, over 2 million people were living with cancer however the number is expected to double to 4 million in the next 20 years.  However due to advances in technology, the survival rate is increasing too. 


The most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide are lung, breast and colorectal (bowel) cancers. The most common causes of cancer death are lung, stomach and liver cancers. The disease involves abnormal cells dividing without control and invade other tissues. Cancerous cells can spread to other parts of the body via the blood or lymph ( "clear fluid that travels through the lymphatic system which fights disease or infections") - 'National Cancer Institute'. 


Cure 
Chemotherapy: This involves curing the disease by taking cell killing (cytotoxic) drugs to remove the harmful cancerous cells. The number and dosage of chemotherapy drugs varies on the individual situation. The chemotherapy can be taken during other treatments such as radio therapy or hormonal therapy. The treatment can cause side effects such as hair loss, sickness and loss of appetite. It can also cause long term side effects such as heart,lung or sexual reproductive organ damge depending on the dose and amount of time you use the treatment. The treatment can also in extreme cases cause cancer to return in later years.

Radiotherapy: This involves using high energy radiation waves (X-rays, gamma rays) to shrink and kill tumours. It can be exposed to the body externally by a machine (external beam radiation) or can be exposed internally using radio active material bening placed near cancerous cells (internal radiation therapy). The therapy works by killing the DNA of the cancerous cells. If the DNA is damaged beyond repair it will stop dividing or die.


Here is a link which shows the potential side effects from radiotherapy: http://cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/radiotherapy/side-effects/general/

Surgery: Surgery may be needed to remove cancerous lumps from the body. A biopsy is needed 1st which is a sample of the potential cancerous body tissue which is analysed to see if it contains cancerous cells and from here the surgeons can decide on what the next course of action will be.


As well as researching the disease in terms of science and statistics, it is also equally if not more important to research how cancer effects people first hand and how it effects the people around them. I myself experienced my Grandfather live and eventually pass away from the illness which gives me an insight to how characters may react to this situation in the film. I have also found a short documentary of a man living with testicular cancer and shows his personal feelings and how it effects him, but also gains the families feelings and emotions and shows how it effects them.