The Cure Culture: Our Obsession With Cures That Are 'Just Around the Corner'

citadrianne writes: Cures for major disease always seem just a few short years away. We constantly read about promising new treatments for cancer, diabetes, HIV, ALS, and more. While the prognosis for these diseases has improved over the years — sometimes greatly — we still focus doggedly on the cure. "The idea of a cure is simpler, it's more appealing as a fantasy." This article takes a look at so-called "Cure Culture" — the focus on reaching for a cure when our scientific efforts may be better expended attacking a disease in other ways. It asks, "Why are we telling our children, our friends, and our family members that we are going to cure them? ... What does it mean to be cured of a disease that is encoded within your DNA from the moment you become a zygote until the moment you are dead? ... And why are we eschewing or overlooking treatments—real, honest-to-god treatments—that can let patients lead longer, more normal lives?

Comments

"cure for cancer"

[someone1234]

Cancer is so diverse, saying we have cure for cancer is like saying we have cure for viral infections.
I'm pretty sure lots of cancer types are now curable, and the number is growing.

No one wants treatment

[gurps_npc]

I have kidney disease. Current Kidney at about 24% functionality. 20% means you go on the list, 15% is when you actively ask your friends/family to donate, 10% is when you start dialysis.

I am on treatment. Have been for years. Treatment fucking SUCKS. It takes over your life. Treatment controls what you eat, drink, what medication you take.Treatment keeps you alive and stable, but it is not the same as a cure. It's what we beg for until we get a cure.

Treatment means I get twice as tired as a normal person my age.

Treatment means I can't stay up late, get drunk, or smoke marijuana.

Treatment means keeping your blood pressure low that you need Viagrea to get an erection when you are 30.

I thank god for treatment - it keeps me alive. But it is not enough.

GIVE ME THE CURE. Some people will literally kill for a cure. If you tell someone they can cure the lung cancer their 8 year old child has just by killing a criminal in China and stealing their organs, some people will do it.

Treatment is nice - but it isn't close to a cure.