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If we really want to cure cancer, we can't afford that sort of compassion, where someone is entitled to be thought of as possibly more correct simply because they have the disease.
Thousands of other diseases are no longer such mysteries and are no longer killers because we applied good science to the problem. Cancer is no longer the certain killer that it once was because we applied good science to the problem.
It seems harsh and thoughtless to tell a victim s/he is wrong. But the very worst thing that we can do is to start taking anecdotal cases seriously out of compassion. If we do, we will create more victims by pushing bad science.
It is important for us to be active participants in our own health. But when we do we should approach the problem with relentless proven facts. If the medical system fails us because it is an economic disaster, we should not abandon the medical science that was developed despite the system.
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