Why America is losing its 50-year 'war on cancer,' according to scientist Nafis Hasan

Nafis Hasan argues that cancer research has hyperfocused on finding treatments for individuals at the expense of driving down cancer rates.

Hasan : A fixation on "somatic mutation theory" ignores the dangers of environmental carcinogens and the benefits of public health efforts in curbing cancer incidence and mortality.

The idea that cancer may be a hereditary disease can be traced back to the early twentieth century .

James Watson (of Watson and Crick fame) established a virus cancer laboratory in 1968 and was appointed to the National Cancer Advisory Board in 1972 .

Watson wanted to make molecular biology a major recipient of NIH and NCI funding, but without the government directing the research.

Watson and other molecular biologists decried the use of contracts and the VCP 's goals, they readily used VCP funds and infrastructure to continue their own research.

Nafis Hasan received his doctorate in cell, molecular and developmental biology from Tufts University in 2019 .

He is currently an associate faculty at the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research and a labor organizer.

His writings have appeared in " Jacobin, Science for the People ," " The Trouble ," and recently "Metastasis: The Rise of the Cancer-Industrial Complex and the Horizons of Care ".