FDA condemns 14 companies selling fraudulent cancer 'cures' online

The FDA has struck out against a wave of companies offering cancer treatments online which fraudulently claim to be able to ‘cure’ the disease.  

In total, the administration sent warning letters to 14 companies selling over 65 fake cancer ‘cures’, including pills, creams and powders which claim to diagnose, prevent or treat the disease. None of the offending products had received FDA approval, with many making outrageous marketing assertions such as: "shrinks malignant tumours", "more effective than chemotherapy", and "selectively kills cancer cells".

This behaviour, beyond its legal implications, has been condemned as irresponsible and predatory by the FDA; consumer safety officer Nicole Kornspan said in a statement: "Anyone who suffers from cancer, or knows someone who does, understands the fear and desperation that can set in. There can be a great temptation to jump at anything that appears to offer a chance for a cure."

In the FDA’s release concerning the news, Douglas Stearn, Director of the Office of Enforcement and Import Operations, issued the warning: "Consumers should not use these or similar unproven products because they may be unsafe and could prevent a person from seeking an appropriate and potentially lifesaving cancer diagnosis or treatment. We encourage people to remain vigilant whether online or in a store, and avoid purchasing products marketed to treat cancer without any proof they will work."

Over the past decade, the FDA has issued more than 90 such letters to companies marketing similar fraudulent cancer products.