America’s Long War on Cancer: What Was It Good For?
As Biden pursues his “moonshot” campaign for a cure, history shows it may be time to retire the military metaphors, with their insistence on total victory.
The “war” in 1954 involved radioactive cobalt.
Photographer: Bettmann via Getty Images
President Joe Biden did not use the word “war” to describe his plans for a “cancer moonshot” that aims to “end cancer as we know it.” But his announcement last week quickly drew comparisons to the program launched by President Richard Nixon a little over 50 years ago — known universally as the “war on cancer.” The new initiative also promises to bring the power of the federal government to bear on the deadly disease. Not to be outdone, the British also announced their own “national war on cancer” this past week.
All these martial metaphors, though, have a dubious record of success. For many decades, the war analogy has structured our understanding of cancer in counterproductive ways. This legacy is worth considering as the U.S. prepares to open yet another front in this long-running battle.