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Do charities for cancer research, etc., work?
A friend just sent an email regarding raising money for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure to raise money for cancer research. Are these really worthwhile charities? Has any cure or breakthrough been found by any of these charities? Where are the results published?
It seems to me that all of the breakthroughs come from drug companies which get the money to fund their own research from their incredibly high markups on the cost of prescription drugs.
Are there any "free" cancer or other drugs available to the public as a result of all of the billions of dollars that have been given to these charities in the name of "finding a cure?" Is there somewhere where they give or fund free cancer treatments? If giving money to these charities is helping, who is reaping the benefits of this research? Please don't tell me its the drug companies.
It seems to me, I would rather give my money to something like Ronald McDonald House or the Make a Wish Foundation-- no, its not a cure, but if it makes life even a little more bearable or enjoyable for those with diseases and their families, that seems to me to be a tangible benefit with results I can see and appreciate.
Thank you both for your responses. I do know that one day we will find a cure for these diseases and I only pray that it will be a day soon to spare many others the pains you have endured.
Thanks, inverse, but I was not asking for an economics lesson regarding pharmaceutical companies. I understand that they fund their research with their profits, but you and I both know that, despite their research costs, their profit margins and return on investments are among the highest of any industry's. Giving a few of your older drugs away for free or reduced cost isn't really charity work.
I don't mean to downplay their role in conquering disease; greed is a powerful motivator. While individual doctors may be in this line of work for the good of humanity, you surely recognize that the company is in it for the money.
I guess my real question is this: what is done with any breakthroughs funded by these cancer charities? Is the information given away, then used by companies that make a profit off of it? Or is there a "drug company" run by such charities which sells the resulting drugs at the cost of making them (less than pennies per pill.) If not, why not?
3 Answers
- PandaLv 71 decade agoFavorite Answer
Well . .I think giving to Ronald McDonald and Make a Wish is wonderful and extremely worthy too . . both charities are very close to my heart as we requested memorial donations be sent in honor of our son.
As for whether charities for cancer research 'work' . . well, yes, they do . . I don't know about the Komen charity but I do know about one for sarcoma. The reason we know it works is because the grants given out must follow strict criteria . .and the results are later published.
http://sarcomahelp.org/Funded%20Research/funded_re...
I think if you would research a little further you would find the information you are looking for . . most charitable cancer organizations desperately want their funding to be meaningful . . they are set up by families that have been devastated by cancer. So . . yes . . there are definitely worthwhile charities . . but you need to do your own homework and make decisions about how you want your charity dollars to go . . do you want it in a general fund that offers research grants to specific hospitals or doctors willing to do trials . . do you want it to benefit the patients, facilities, or hospitals directly . . or do you want your dollars to go for educating the public and providing resources and information about cancer? There are many different types of cancer charities.
It's your choice.
Incidentally . .even with all the cancer charities and fundraisers . . there is not enough money raised to research the over 200 different types of cancer. The best that can be done is to focus on several of the more common types of cancer . . breast, lung, colon, leukemia . . the rest of the cancers barely have any money for research purposes.
As for your question about cancer drugs available to the public . . . any funding that comes from charities for grants for specific cancers . . those funds provide new drugs during Clinical Trials for patients . . so, indirectly . . yes . . much depends on what the use of the money was directly earmarked to do. But anytime a Clinical Trial is sponsored by a Charity . . or by anyone . .than the new drugs are given 'freely' . And, yes, drug companies also offer 'free medicine' programs and 'compassionate use' programs for those who request it.
Needy Meds
You can read more about the research grants, fellowships, and scholarships that the Susan G Komen organization offers:
http://cms.komen.org/komen/GrantsProgram/index.htm
http://cms.komen.org/komen/GrantsProgram/Fellowshi...
Source(s): Experience. Lost teenage son to rare and aggressive abdominal sarcoma. - Anonymous1 decade ago
The drug companies have to charge high prices so they can fund the research for new drugs. Do you think they have printing presses in their basements? Since the clinical trials, evaluation, submission, etc. can take 10 years or more, there is a short time for the company to recoup all the hundreds of millions of dollars they spent developing the drug and getting it approved for use.
Many of these companies themselves offer their products free or at low cost to financially disadvantaged people.
Many charities provide materials at low or no cost to cancer patients to help them through the diagnosis/treatment process. Komen's web site is extensive in the tools for education and understanding a breast cancer diagnosis. Knowledge is an important part of the process.
- Verite RLv 51 decade ago
As a cancer patient, can I point out that well-run cancer charities do a fantastic job.
There are those funding research - and many of the breakthroughs in cancer care and drugs comes from their original research.
Other cancer charities are there to make life easier for cancer patients. In Wales a recent report highlighted that for every pound that the National Health Service spends in caring for Children's cancer, this is matched - pound for pound - by charity funding.
Charities such as Macmillan pioneered palliative care for terminally-ill patients, providing nurses to live and/or work with the family during someone's last days, or giving them a room and fantastic care in a calm and peaceful environment so they die peacefully.
Then there are the other charities that specifically target research and care for kidney, breast, ovarian and other cancers.
However, there are also many very small, local charities that fund specific cancer projects, and those are the type I tend to support, as my money makes a much bigger difference.
But please be assured - as a cancer patient I am very, very grateful to what these charities do for us. The research charities are desperate for a cure - but this is going to take billions of anyone's money.
I hope this is helpful,and if you want more information please see www.after-cancer.com,. with a lot of information about work charities do for patients.
Verite R
Source(s): www.after-cancer.com
