Frankly, I think the FTC is a little late to the party with this effort. I've been seeing outrageous cancer scams and quacks on the Web for more than 10 years now, which is how long I've been living with cancer.
Australia, just to name one country, is way ahead of the United States in prosecuting and shutting down quacks who prey on people with cancer. Why? Well, I don't know all the reasons we let people sell unproven and even dangerous "cancer cures" over the Web, but I suspect that one reason is the "free enterprise" mind set, especially under Republican governments.
However, after receiving this e-mail from Carol Kando-Pineda at the FTC, I took a look at the Web site, and I think the information is good.
Dear. Ms. Sather,
The Federal Trade Commission has important information about products advertised on the internet that claim to treat or cure cancer. Many of them are scams -- and frankly, when the diagnosis is cancer, a scam is the last thing you need. You can find the information at www.ftc.gov/curious. ...
Thanks so much for you help in getting this important health message to folks.
Carol Kando-Pineda
Federal Trade Commission
Read the FTC guidelines for spotting a quack: FTC Quack Alert
Read more about quacks: Quacks
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