FDA Probably Going to Let Breast Cancer Sufferers Die

What is the point of having a government regulatory body if we can't even agree that women with breast cancer should get every tool in the toolbox to try and save their life?

The drug in question is Avastin, and for some women, it's been the literal difference between life and death. Patricia Howard, 66, saw her doctors declare her cancer-free -- some five years after her advanced breast cancer was diagnosed. "I want to explain to them the quality of life that I have. ... I play golf, I shop. It's amazing," she says. "My scans were completely clean, which means there is no evidence of cancer. I attribute this to taking the drug Avastin." Read her full story

The drug, like most you take, is not without side effects. Avastin users faced risks of internal bleeding and increased blood pressure. This stems from the way the drug works — it cuts off the blood supply to cancer cells. The FDA is concerned that the drug will kill more people than it helps, so it wants to ban the drug for breast cancer sufferers. Note to FDA: You know what else can be fatal? Breast cancer. It's not like doctors are going around handing Avastin out to every woman with a lump in her breast. This drug is given to the worst cases — the ones where loved ones wonder if their mom, sister, wife, partner, aunt will make it to see the calendar flip. And the government is going to up and tell those women sorry, no luck, try something else. Are you kidding me? The drug would remain legal for folks who have other cancers, including colon, kidney, brain, and lung cancers. Wait, what? That's right! The FDA can declare the drug safe to use for several groups of cancer-patients and tell the other groups of cancer-patients that they can sit in the corner and die. This is precisely why we need to legalize drugs — all of them. The FDA can research and issue reports on effectiveness and toxicity and so forth. It should, however, remain up to the individual whether to use any drug, for any reason, at any time. This includes everything from aspirin to Ativan; alcohol to Avastin. The government does not have the right to order you to die as it decides whether or not to allow you to take a substance that you believe will enhance or save your life. It is a fundamental premise of liberty that each of us is our own sovereign; it is high time our laws reflect that standard.