Cancer is now the second leading cause of death, and all Americans of all political persuasions would welcome a reduction in the toll it takes on life and health. Gore, however, overlooked three important factors in his declaration of war. First, our goal should not, and cannot be to wipe out all cancer.
Cancer is a disease of aging.
Indeed, with the precipitous decline of heart disease we are witnessing, it is likely that cancer soon will be the leading cause of death in America. Given the inevitable reality of human mortality, something has to be the leading cause of death. Second, the more we learn about cancer, the more we realize that the war against it should focus first on prevention, a topic that does not appear to have high priority in Gore's cancer war. For example, we know now that nearly 40 percent of cancer deaths this year will be causally linked to the use of tobacco, primarily cigarettes. Further, we strongly suspect that a dearth of fruits and vegetables in the diet leaves us vulnerable to some forms of cancer.