The term “incurable disease” is used to refer to serious, life-threatening illnesses from a medical standpoint. These diseases are characterized by being incurable, chronically progressive, or having an extremely low chance of complete recovery. Because there are currently no established or existing treatments, and modern medicine considers them fundamentally difficult to cure, the mere mention of this term can evoke a sense of despair.
On the other hand, while the definition of an incurable disease can evolve alongside medical advancements—such as when life-prolonging measures or symptom management become possible—the term is frequently used to emphasize the severity or terminal nature of the condition; consequently, it is likely most commonly perceived simply as a disease that cannot be fully cured.
Conditions classified as incurable diseases include the following:
＊ Cancer:
While cancer can often be treated if detected at an early stage, a complete cure is difficult once the disease has advanced. Treatment focuses primarily on alleviating symptoms, and it is considered difficult to fully cure cancers that have metastasized or recurred.
＊ Intractable neurological disorders and neurodegenerative diseases:
Conditions such as ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and Parkinson’s disease. These are intractable neurological disorders or neurodegenerative diseases where symptoms progress after onset—often becoming life-threatening—and for which a complete cure remains elusive with current medical technology.
＊ Chronic diseases:
Conditions such as chronic renal failure and heart failure. While symptoms can be managed through treatment, there is often no curative treatment available to address the underlying cause.
＊ Autoimmune diseases:
Conditions such as collagen diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and ulcerative colitis. Because the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues, treatment strategies focus on disease management rather than a cure.
＊ Dementia:
Particularly Alzheimer’s-type dementia, which involves progressive brain atrophy leading to a decline in memory and judgment. While early intervention can slow the progression of the disease, a full recovery cannot be expected.
It is said that upon being diagnosed with an incurable disease, a patient may go through stages—initially denial, followed by anger and sadness—before eventually reaching a state of acceptance, a process that can take considerable time.
The fear of death is a universal dread that transcends eras and cultures. Perceiving a diagnosis of an incurable disease as a harbinger of death is a natural reaction; this sentiment stems not merely from biological instinct but from a complex interplay of philosophical, psychological, and social factors.
While the survival instinct operates—driving us to avoid physical pain, sense danger, and preserve life—the prospect of death is psychologically unbearable. The image of one’s entire existence ending or consciousness vanishing—leading to a state of “nothingness”—can deeply unsettle the mind when one is forced to confront its inevitability.
In ancient Greece, Socrates (c. 470–399 BCE) posited that death was merely sleep or a transition to another realm and thus nothing to be feared; meanwhile, throughout history, concepts such as the existence of an afterlife (like Heaven or the Pure Land), the immortality of the soul, and reincarnation have helped make death easier to accept and have alleviated the fear surrounding it.
Furthermore, fear can stem from unconscious doubts regarding one’s own existence—such as the worry that one’s life might be meaningless, the loss of a tangible sense of self, or the fear that one’s existence might ultimately dissolve into nothingness. According to Jungian psychology, the fear of death serves as a defense mechanism, allowing individuals to avoid confronting the unconscious self in their daily lives.
However, while it was Heidegger (1889–1976) who posited that the existence of death lends seriousness to life, the fear of death can also manifest as a natural desire for a richer life. This is because such fear can prompt us to deepen our sense of purpose and explore the meaning of life more broadly. Moreover, accepting that all things in this world are impermanent—constantly changing and destined to end—may be essential for refining one’s aesthetic sensibilities, living in harmony with nature, and leading a creative life. (ref., Immortality And the Future of Lifespan, The Pathos Of Things And The Cycle Of Transience)
In neuroscience, the neural basis of fear and anxiety is understood as follows: the amygdala functions as a primitive alarm system detecting threats; the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) translates these signals into conscious subjective distress, influencing behavior and decision-making; and the involvement of the prefrontal cortex gives rise to existential anxiety rooted in the abstract concept of death—a state that transcends mere danger-avoidance reactions. In short, while we are biological beings who experience the fear of death through the amygdala and ACC, we are simultaneously existential subjects who, thanks to the prefrontal cortex, abstract this experience and question the meaning of death.
Moreover, as part of the biological fear response, neurotransmitters and hormones act upon various brain regions—from the amygdala to the frontal lobes—preparing the body to fight or flee from a terrifying stimulus. Physiological changes include the dilation of pupils for better visibility, the widening of airways to increase oxygen intake, and the redirection of blood and glucose to vital organs and skeletal muscles.
It is also noted that fear can trigger both unpleasant emotions, such as stress, and pleasant ones, such as a sense of relief; the physiological impact of fear across the body can sometimes feel exhilarating, and once the source of fear has vanished, one may even experience a sense of satisfaction or triumph.
Substances such as adrenaline, cortisol, and dopamine are released in the brain when a threat is perceived.
* Adrenaline:
Adrenaline, which triggers the “fight-or-flight” response, is released upon the perception of danger; it causes increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate, and can also induce a sense of euphoria that creates a feeling of surging vitality and energy.
* Cortisol:
Cortisol is a stress hormone constantly released to regulate various bodily functions. Its levels spike when one is under tension while attempting to overcome a specific situation or experience. It helps maintain a state of alertness even after “fight-or-flight” hormones like adrenaline have been released, and it promotes the liver’s release of glucose—an energy source—during emergencies.
Stress manifests through physical symptoms such as chest pain, headaches, tremors, fatigue, and muscle tension, as well as emotional symptoms like irritability, panic attacks, and sadness. In cases of chronic stress, the negative feedback mechanism malfunctions, leading to a chronic excess of cortisol; this can result in memory and learning impairments due to the death of hippocampal neurons, an increased risk of infection due to suppressed immune function, and a higher risk of depression and anxiety disorders.
* Dopamine:
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter released in response to the anticipation or experience of pleasure and reward, leading to a positive mood and a sense of well-being. (ref., Mindfulness Embracing Autumnal Sense And Sensibility, Shojin Cuisine For Spiritual Awakening And Well-Being)
Fear can be innate or acquired through experience and learning. Furthermore, fear can sometimes be perceived as an exciting and thrilling sensation. The experience of facing something frightening and nothing bad happening can diminish the fear of things generally considered terrifying, and the pursuit of thrills while knowingly taking risks, and the sense of accomplishment that comes from overcoming those risks and surviving, can be very rewarding. Scary experiences such as rides in amusement parks that utilize centrifugal force, sudden drops and ascents, and haunted houses fall into this category.
Moreover, in sales, marketing, advertising, and political settings, manipulative techniques and strategies based on fallacies and appeals to fear are sometimes used. These tactics aim to exploit the vague anxieties and fears that the public has about life, claiming they can be eliminated, or to instill anxiety, fear, and doubt in the public during discussions, distorting their judgment and using those emotions to gain support for one’s own opinions or influence their actions. (ref., The Basic Components Of The Universe Are Being Exploited By The Rulers)
FUD stands for Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt, and it refers to techniques that exploit consumers’ anxieties about new technologies and services by using vague information and misleading language, such as the possibility of customer support being discontinued, and induce consumers to make poor choices without verifying the truthfulness of the information. This is because fear has a strong and effective influence on perceptions and attitudes.
Fear appeals, which use a message structure like “If you don’t do X, you might face the negative consequence Y,” exploit the brain’s mechanisms and thought processes that prioritize responses to potential dangers and threats. This psychological phenomenon, known as negative bias rooted in the survival instinct, is such that negative information is more than five times more likely to be remembered and leave a stronger impression than positive information.
In marketing, advertising, and political propaganda, fear appeals utilize various forms to appeal to emotions, such as emphasizing the sustainability of life against economic fear, or the safety of survival against political and invasive anxieties.
* Physical fear:
Anxiety about health hazards or physical danger.
e.g.: Failing to get vaccinated will lead to infection.
* Social fear:
Anxiety about social exclusion or judgment.
e.g.: Not doing this might lead to social shame.
* Economic fear:
Anxiety about financial loss.
e.g.: Inaction now will lead to missing out on future opportunities or losses.
* Time fear:
Anxiety about missed opportunities.
e.g.: This is a limited-time opportunity. Missing this opportunity means there will never be another chance.
* Survival fear:
Anxiety about survival being threatened.
e.g.: Disasters, incidents, conflicts, invasions, destruction, etc.
Fear appeals include the following elements to evoke fear, but to prevent feelings of helplessness caused by overly strong fear appeals from leading to a lack of action or rejection/ignoring of the message itself, solutions are often presented together. Furthermore, messages containing moderate fear have been shown to have up to 70% higher memory retention rates than regular messages.
* Threat presentation:
Clear presentation of dangers and problems, and conveying their seriousness.
* Vulnerability Awareness:
Make them feel that the threat could happen to them.
* Solution Provision:
Show concrete ways to alleviate or eliminate fear, and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution.
* Self-Efficacy:
Make them feel that they can implement the solution.
In any case, “fear appeals” are a persuasion tactic designed to steer people in a specific direction by playing on their fears or perceptions of danger; the public likely retains a vivid memory of how, during the virus turmoil, such tactics were employed—through the spread of malicious rumors exaggerating imminent risks and the manipulation of information to incite public fear—to steer people toward vaccination, despite the potential for adverse effects such as threats to life or genetic alteration.
Experiences of fear can often deepen connections within a group. Repeated reports of the deadly virus spreading across the globe may have fueled anxiety about infection risk, leading to a sense of solidarity through shared emotions.
Disinformation, fake news, and malicious propaganda permeated the subconscious, stimulating emotions, fueling division and conflict, suppressing individual critical thinking through group psychology, and threatening or alienating innate human rights, freedoms, and self-preservation instincts as part of a strict surveillance society plan, led the masses and society as a whole in an extreme and dangerous direction.
Under fear, the instinct for self-preservation takes precedence, and rational judgment and long-term perspectives tend to be put on the back burner. However, in order to avoid such situations in the future, it is essential for individuals to acquire information literacy and cultivate critical thinking skills.
In any case, the fear associated with deadly infectious diseases and incurable illnesses is a universal emotion that transcends time and region, and indeed, in regions where cancer is the leading cause of death, it seems that as many as 90% of people have a fearful impression of cancer.
Furthermore, not only the cancer itself, but also the pain associated with surgery and treatment, such as side effects from chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy, or the burden and inconvenience that can result from long-term treatment, nursing care, treatment costs, procedures, and caregiving, can all lead to fear and anxiety.
Another common fear associated with cancer is cancer phobia, also known as cancer neurosis, where even without an actual diagnosis of suspected cancer, excessive anxiety and fear of cancer lead to mistaking minor pain or physical discomfort for cancer, resulting in feelings of despair and continued stress. It is a type of disease phobia, characterized by an abnormal fear of various illnesses.
Cancer phobia, where the delusion of having cancer and the belief of having little time left become intertwined, tends to trigger fear and anxiety. This can lead to feelings of despair, such as being unable to attend school or work, doctor shopping (visiting multiple hospitals for second opinions and repeated tests), and significant disruption to daily life. Furthermore, the cognitive bias of imagining the worst-case scenario makes it difficult to break free from this negative spiral once caught.
The causes of cancer phobia appear to be a combination of psychological, biological, and environmental factors.
1. Personal Experiences and Trauma:
Past sad events or traumatic experiences related to cancer, or the experience of losing a loved one to cancer.
2. Health Anxiety Symptoms:
A tendency to experience anxiety about illness or health.
3. Family History:
Genetic factors or a history of cancer within the family.
4. Media Information:
Excessive consumption and tracking of cancer-related information from the media and the internet.
5. Excessive Health Concern:
Excessive concern for health and physical symptoms, over-interpretation based on self-diagnosis.
6. Stress and Anxiety:
Severe stress or chronic anxiety.
7. Misguided Beliefs about Health
False beliefs about health, methods of gathering information, and biased self-assessment.
A prolonged state of believing one has cancer can lead to autonomic nervous system dysfunction, various physical ailments, weakened immunity due to stress from negative thinking, insomnia, and even self-fulfilling prophecies. Therefore, it is essential to shift to positive thinking and a healthy lifestyle.
There are generally considered to be two main treatment methods for cancer phobia:
1. Medical institutions:
Since the fear stems from the possibility of cancer, all sources of anxiety are thoroughly examined to scientifically rule out the possibility of cancer.
2. Psychiatry/psychosomatic medicine:
This involves seeking treatment for a mental illness, especially if the individual continues to believe in the possibility
In any case, it is still fresh in our memory how, during the coronavirus outbreak, misinformation and false information were spread by MSM and social media, and how conformity pressure was exerted by subservient medical institutions, leading an ignorant society to submit to malicious intent. To reiterate, it is essential that each individual possesses information literacy to prevent such a situation from happening again.
Verifying the accuracy of media reports and information should also be applied to overcoming cancer phobia. Correcting erroneous thought patterns, guiding one toward healthy thinking, promoting mental and physical relaxation, reducing anxiety and stress, and ultimately leading to a healthier state of mind and a more fulfilling daily life.
On the other hand, when actually diagnosed with cancer, facing such a life-threatening event, it is said that a tremor of emotions such as shock, fear, anger, sadness, and confusion—natural reactions to protect oneself—wells up from the core of one’s being, leaving one unsure of how to cope and feeling lost.
This is because a cancer diagnosis is a psychologically extremely significant situation, or even a traumatic experience, and is an event that causes great shock accompanied by the following profound emotional impacts:
* The shock of facing death:
A cancer diagnosis suddenly intrudes on a life based on the premise that one is not yet dead, forcing one to confront the finiteness of life, generating the most fundamental fear and shock.
* Loss of self-identity:
Fear of physical changes such as surgical scars, hair loss and fatigue from chemotherapy, a sense of loss from being unable to fulfill social roles, and despair based on uncertainty about the future can lead to a loss of self-identity, triggering deep suffering and a sense of crisis.
* Uncontrollability:
A strong sense of stress and helplessness induced by things that are beyond one’s control, such as things that occur and progress independently of one’s will and cannot be self-healed.
According to psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1926-2004), many people tend to go through characteristic psychological stages before accepting their fate of death. This concept, known as the five-stage model of death acceptance, is said to be applicable to understanding the psychology of people diagnosed with cancer.
1. Denial Stage:
Denial of the diagnosis as a mistake; a defense mechanism to mitigate the great shock and protect the mind.
2. Anger Stage:
Anger at the threat to one’s life; forced to face reality and protesting against an unjust fate.
3. Bargaining Stage:
Bargaining whether fate can be changed or the situation postponed; a desperate attempt to regain a sense of control that is being lost.
4. Depression Stage:
Depression as a reaction to what has been lost, such as health, future, and sense of self, and depression as preparation for death; realizing that there is no escape from reality and being overwhelmed by deep sadness and despair.
5. Acceptance Stage:
Acceptance of unchangeable reality; a state of calm mind reached after passing through deep sorrow.
The final stage in this five-stage mental transformation, the stage of acceptance, is a state of mind that leads to acceptance of resignation (諦) and the impermanence of things (無常).
Resignation (諦) is not simply about giving up; it also carries the meaning of truth (真理) and reason (道理). Accepting contradictions and fate as they are, and embracing resignation and impermanence, creates space between the mind and trials, leading to clarifying reality in light of truth and reason, and enabling one to move forward with understanding.
Considering this, when diagnosed with cancer, it may be essential to understand and confront the true nature and reality of the disease, rather than being caught up in the superficial image of cancer as a terrifying illness.
Cancer prevention was first addressed in Europe at the end of the 19th century with a sense of crisis, and practical activities began after World War II. However, the discovery of osteosarcoma and nasopharyngeal cancer in ancient Egyptian mummies, as well as descriptions of lipomas and mammary gland tumors in ancient Egyptian papyri from around 1800 BC, suggest that humanity’s relationship with cancer is much older.
In ancient Greece, the physician Hippocrates named cancer “karkinos” (crab) because of its tendency to cling to surrounding tissues, and proposed the humoral theory that it was caused by an imbalance of blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm. Because it was believed to be caused by an excess of black bile and was almost incurable, it instilled fear in the people.
Even in ancient Rome, which inherited the medical knowledge of ancient Greece, surgical techniques developed, but the physician Galen is said to have aimed to slow the progression of cancer rather than cure it, acknowledging the limitations of radical cancer treatment and the impossibility of surgery.
The Asclepeion, an ancient Greek and Roman sanctuary dedicated to Asclepius, the patron god of medicine, contains inscriptions on three marble slabs detailing the names of about 70 visitors who prayed for healing around 350 BC, along with the names of their illnesses and the treatments they received. These slabs reportedly describe treatments such as hypnotherapy using narcotic-like drugs, and surgical procedures including tumor removal.
In the 17th century, a scientific revolution occurred in Europe, and new technologies for observing nature were developed one after another. In particular, the invention of the microscope by the Dutch scientist Antoni van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) made it possible to observe microorganisms and cells, and it gradually became clear that cancer is caused by the abnormal proliferation of cancer cells.
In the 19th century, further advancements in microscopy made it possible to observe cancer at the cellular level. The German physician Rudolf Virchow (1821-1902) discovered that cancer is formed by abnormally divided cells. His successors meticulously observed the structure and properties of cancer cells, uncovering the mechanism of metastasis—the movement of cancer cells through blood vessels and lymphatic vessels to other parts of the body and the formation of new tumors. The advent of the microscope laid the foundation for the search for treatments to combat cancer, which had previously been considered an incurable disease.
Research into the relationship between cancer and genes began in 1953 when James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the double helix structure of DNA, revealing the basic blueprint of life. In the 1980s, the existence of tumor suppressor genes was revealed; these genes play a role in suppressing cell growth, but mutations in them cause them to lose their function, promoting cancer development.
Furthermore, it has been discovered that if the p53 gene, known as the guardian of the genome, does not function properly, cells proliferate abnormally and cause cancer. This has led to research into how the interaction between tumor-promoting genes and tumor-suppressing genes is involved in the development and progression of cancer, and the development of molecularly targeted therapies that target genes and personalized medicine based on the genetic information of individual patients is progressing.
While surgical removal of tumors is an ancient cancer treatment method, with the ancient Roman surgeon Aulus Cornelius Celsus reportedly performing a complete excision in the 1st century BC, the safety of surgical procedures only greatly improved in the 19th century with the development of anesthesia and disinfection methods.
Radiation therapy, which is effective in shrinking tumors in areas inaccessible by surgery, such as tumors deep within the body or metastatic cancers, opened up the possibility of non-invasive treatment of cancers in 1895 when German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (1845–1923) discovered X-rays. Later, French physician Marie Curie (1867–1934) established radiation therapy by using the radioactive substance radium to treat cancer.
Furthermore, during World War II, mustard gas, developed as a chemical weapon, was found to have the effect of destroying white blood cells. This toxicity was applied to drug therapies (later chemotherapy) that could be used against cancers such as leukemia, and from the mid-20th century onward, combination therapies combining surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy became mainstream.
Meanwhile, the body’s immune system protects by detecting and attacking pathogens, viruses, and abnormal cells. However, cancer cells cleverly evade the immune system, leading to increased research into immunotherapy targeting cancer cells with the immune system from the latter half of the 20th century.
Monoclonal antibodies, artificial antibodies that recognize and bind to specific molecules on the surface of cancer cells to attack them precisely, were developed in the 1980s. Immunotherapy, considered to have fewer side effects than chemotherapy, was added to cancer treatment and has since evolved further. CAR-T cell therapy involves extracting a patient’s T cells (immune cells), genetically modifying them to attack cancer cells, and then returning them to the body to effectively destroy cancer cells.
Immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors that disable the immune-suppressing mechanisms of cancer cells, allowing the immune system to function at full capacity again, is currently at the forefront of cancer treatment, offering new hope and promising to save many more lives in the future.
Tumors are defined as masses of cells that proliferate uncontrollably due to gene mutations, and are broadly classified into two types. One is called a malignant tumor, which proliferates faster than normal cells and, if left untreated, spreads throughout the body and causes various adverse effects. The other is called a benign tumor, which gradually grows by pushing aside surrounding cells and tissues but does not invade or metastasize.
With approximately 20 million people newly diagnosed with cancer worldwide each year, and the probability of experiencing cancer in one’s lifetime estimated to be one in two people, the main factors cited for tumor development are, firstly, the accumulation of lifestyle habits, a kind of cause-and-effect logic, and secondly, the biologically unavoidable replication error during cell division, a kind of bad luck theory. It is said that these two factors interact with each other to increase the risk of developing cancer.
Meanwhile, a new perspective is gaining attention that could overturn the conventional wisdom that cancer is a genetic disease and a huge treatment market generating trillions of dollars in profits for the medical industry. This perspective concerns a causal relationship between parasites and cancer. Evidence supporting this link has reportedly been deliberately withheld from public disclosure for about a century, and the leak of this information by a German expert is being seen as a strategic disclosure and movement that will drive change in the medical industry.
In fact, it is known that infection with certain pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites, can cause cancer. Chronic inflammation caused by infection, or the alteration of the properties of human cells by the pathogen’s genes, leads to cancer development.
1. Cancer caused by viral infection:
Normal cells transform into cancer cells when the genes of a virus are incorporated into the cell’s genes, or when viral replication abnormally stimulates cell division. Examples include human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer, and hepatitis viruses, which cause hepatocellular carcinoma.
* Human papillomavirus (HPV):
A very common virus that infects the skin and mucous membranes. There are over 100 types, and in most cases, infection is naturally eliminated by the immune system. However, some high-risk types of the virus can cause cancer if the infection persists.
It has been shown that over 95% of cervical cancers are caused by persistent infection with high-risk HPV types. In particular, HPV types 16 and 18 account for approximately 60-70% of cervical cancer cases.
* Hepatitis B and C Viruses (HBV/HCV):
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are viruses transmitted through blood and bodily fluids, primarily causing inflammation in the liver. Persistent infection with these viruses is the leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Persistent infection with HBV or HCV leads to chronic inflammation in the liver, causing a continuous cycle of liver cell destruction and regeneration. This constant cell regeneration process increases the likelihood of gene copying errors (mutations), raising the risk of cancer cell formation.
* Epstein-Barr virus (EBV):
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a virus belonging to the herpesviridae family. It is estimated that more than 90% of adults worldwide are infected. Infection usually occurs in early childhood through saliva transmission, and while symptoms are often mild or no symptoms, those presenting with the virus may be asymptomatic. However, if the initial infection occurs after puberty, it can cause infectious mononucleosis, a disease characterized by fever and sore throat.
Normally, its activity is suppressed by the immune system. However, under certain conditions, such as a weakened immune system, the virus can become active and may be involved in the development of cancers such as Burkitt lymphoma and nasopharyngeal cancer.
2. Cancers Caused by Bacterial Infection:
While it’s rare for bacteria to directly cause cell carcinogenesis like viruses do, prolonged, chronic inflammation caused by bacteria can create an environment conducive to cancer development. During the process of increased cell division for tissue repair, DNA damage accumulates, making mutations leading to cancer more likely.
* Gastric Cancer:
When Helicobacter pylori infects the gastric mucosa and causes persistent inflammation over many years, it leads to atrophic gastritis, a condition where the gastric mucosa atrophies. Further progression can cause intestinal metaplasia, where the gastric mucosa resembles the intestinal mucosa, and gastric cancer can develop from a portion of this intestinal metaplasia.
* Biliary Tract Cancer:
Specific bacteria are often detected in the bile of patients with cholangitis or gallstones. It has been suggested that substances produced by biliary bacteria may damage the epithelial cells of the bile duct, increasing the risk of biliary tract cancer.
* Colorectal cancer and oral bacteria: Fusobacterium nucleatum, a type of bacteria that causes periodontal disease and is normally present in the oral cavity, has been suggested to be involved in the proliferation and metastasis of colorectal cancer.
3. Cancer caused by parasitic infections:
Chronic inflammation and physical irritation to tissues within the human body caused by parasites can induce genetic mutations in cells, leading to the development of cancer.
* Schistosomiasis japonica:
This parasite uses the Oncomelania snail (*Oncomelania japonica*), which inhabits rivers in certain regions, as an intermediate host. It enters the body through skin contact with contaminated water and primarily parasitizes the portal vein, a blood vessel connected to the liver. The parasite’s eggs can clog liver and colon tissues, triggering a strong inflammatory response, leading to liver fibrosis (cirrhosis), colon polyp formation, and increasing the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma and colorectal cancer.
* Liver fluke:
This parasite is mainly distributed in Southeast Asia and East Asia. Infection occurs by eating raw freshwater fish of the carp family. The parasite then infests the bile duct (the tube that carries bile produced in the liver to the duodenum), and the physical irritation and secretions from the parasite cause chronic inflammation of the bile duct epithelium, which can lead to the development of bile duct cancer.
In addition to parasite control protocols, other measures individuals can take to prevent cancer caused by parasites include heavy metal detoxification, as parasites are attracted to hosts with heavy metal poisoning, and eliminating sugars, which are a parasite’s energy source. A low-carbohydrate diet centered on animal products that does not contain glucose, sucrose, or fructose is said to deprive parasites of their preferred energy source and put them into a state of starvation.
Furthermore, the effectiveness of antiparasitic drugs such as ivermectin in cancer treatment has been frequently covered in the media and on social media in recent years, and articles about the recovery of cancer patients due to the effects of ivermectin are commonplace.
Ivermectin was discovered and developed as an antiparasitic drug in the 1970s by Japanese microbiologist Satoshi Omura and Irish parasitologist William C. Campbell, leading to their Nobel Prize win in 2015. While primarily contributing to the eradication of parasitic diseases in developing regions, it has also become widely used as a treatment for several other diseases and infections, as listed below.
* Strongiloids: Internal parasitic infections.
* Scabies: A disease caused by mites that spread rapidly among humans.
* Lymphatic filariasis: A parasitic disease transmitted by mosquitoes.
* Head lice: As an alternative to conventional treatments.
Furthermore, ivermectin is currently attracting attention as a treatment for inflammatory diseases, viral infections, and even life-threatening diseases like cancer. Its effects include slowing the proliferation of cancer cells, inducing cancer cell death, and enhancing the immune system’s ability to attack tumors.
1. The main actions of ivermectin are as follows:
* Inhibition of tumor growth: It blocks the signals necessary for cancer cells to proliferate, slowing their growth. In particular, it stops cell proliferation during the S phase of the cell cycle, i.e., the stage where DNA is replicated.
* Death of cancer cells: It promotes self-destruction (apoptosis) in cells such as breast cancer and colorectal cancer. This is achieved by activating a special protein called caspase, which affects the cell’s energy system.
* Enhancement of the immune system: It increases the activity of natural killer cells and macrophages, which are the main immune cells that destroy tumors. This suggests a synergistic effect with existing cancer immunotherapies.
* Blocking the tumor’s blood supply: Tumors require new blood vessels to grow. Ivermectin interferes with this process (called angiogenesis), cutting off the tumor’s nutrient supply and slowing its growth.
* Fighting drug-resistant cancer: Cancer cells can sometimes resist chemotherapy. Ivermectin can overcome this resistance by reducing the activity of proteins that cause drug resistance in cancer, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of chemotherapy.
2. The following are types of cancer in which the effectiveness of ivermectin has been verified:
* Breast cancer:
It exhibits potent anti-cancer activity by inducing cell death and stopping proliferation in breast cancer cells.
* Ovarian cancer:
It effectively suppresses ovarian cancer by inhibiting the cell cycle and inducing apoptosis.
* Prostate cancer:
It inhibits the proliferation of prostate cancer cells and kills them.
* Colorectal cancer:
It inhibits the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells and promotes cell death.
* Brain tumors:
It is effective against brain tumor cells.
* Leukemia:
It selectively targets and kills leukemia cells without damaging normal cells.
* Acute myeloid leukemia (AML):
It has demonstrated the ability to kill AML cells.
In addition, ivermectin is considered to have potential applications in other types of cancer, including kidney cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, lung cancer, and cholangiocarcinoma.
3. Reasons for the support for ivermectin are broad, safe, and low-cost, while exhibiting diverse mechanisms of action against multiple cancers.
* Safety:
Its safety has been demonstrated through over 30 years of use in the treatment of parasitic infections, and it has a lower risk of application to cancer treatment compared to new drugs.
* Multifaceted Attack:
– Inhibits the proliferation of cancer cells.
– Induces apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells.
– Blocks the Akt/mTOR pathway and Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which are essential for the proliferation and survival of cancer cells.
* Immune System Enhancement:
It activates immune cells such as natural killer cells and macrophages to support the fight against cancer, making it possible to use it in combination with other cancer treatments that rely on the immune system.
* Blocking the tumor’s blood supply: Cancerous tumors require new blood vessels to grow, but ivermectin inhibits this angiogenesis, cutting off the tumor’s nutrient supply.
* Effective against drug-resistant cancers: It has demonstrated effectiveness against drug-resistant cancers such as bile duct cancer and can be used in combination with other treatments.
* Efficacy confirmed in laboratory studies: Laboratory studies have demonstrated that it slows or stops the growth of cancer cells in breast, colorectal, lung, and ovarian cancers.
* Affordable and widely available: It is already approved and inexpensive.
* Potential for use with radiation therapy: It has potential for use in combination with radiation therapy.
In any case, while conventional anticancer drugs primarily exert their effects by destroying the DNA of cancer cells, ivermectin acts on cancer cells through a different mechanism than conventional anticancer drugs. Ivermectin inhibits the growth of cancer cells by inhibiting the cellular energy metabolism. This difference means that it can be expected to be effective even in cases where conventional drugs were ineffective, and its relatively low side effects make it easier to maintain the patient’s quality of life. Its low cost is also a significant advantage.
One area of research exploring the possibility of transforming cancer from an incurable disease into a curable one is the treatment of solid tumors using iPS cells.
On May 13, 2026, a group including the Kyoto University Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA) succeeded in dramatically increasing the ability of immune cells created from iPS cells to attack solid tumors, which had previously been difficult to treat, by adding specific genetic modifications.
Solid tumors that form lumps, such as lung cancer, stomach cancer, and colorectal cancer, present two challenges: a physical barrier where cancer cells are densely packed and immune cells cannot penetrate, and an immunosuppressive barrier where cancer cells manipulate the surrounding environment and reduce the motivation of immune cells. This groundbreaking idea involves genetically modifying immune cells created from iPS cells to give them the ability to simultaneously produce two proteins.
Simply put, while traditionally a single immune cell attacked a solid tumor, the new iPS cell strategy involves gathering numerous immune cells at the center of the solid tumor, and then having all of these doped immune cells simultaneously destroy the tumor.
Previously, developing therapeutic drugs from each individual patient’s cells was extremely time-consuming and costly. However, by creating and stockpiling the most potent immune cells from high-quality iPS cells in advance, it becomes possible to provide them to any patient inexpensively and quickly when needed.
Furthermore, genome editing technologies like CRISPR are enabling the practical application of treatments that precisely target cancer cells—such as halting cancer progression by accurately excising specific segments of cancer-causing genes and correcting mutations.
Additionally, AI-powered image analysis can evaluate patient-specific data to suggest optimal treatment plans; by detecting subtle signs of cancer in X-rays or CT scans that might escape human notice, AI facilitates early diagnosis and, consequently, early treatment.
In this way, cancer treatment is evolving toward “personalized medicine”—an approach that minimizes side effects and maximizes efficacy by tailoring therapy to a patient’s genetics, cancer type, and physical constitution.
In any case, treatments for diseases that have been feared since ancient times as “incurable diseases,” such as malignant tumors and cancer, are rapidly evolving thanks to advances in early detection technology, the development of new drugs and personalized therapies, and the possibility of long-term treatment. There are high hopes that in the future, these treatments will further slow the progression of the disease and improve survival rates.
Meanwhile, given future trends such as the potential introduction of social credit score systems and implantable digital IDs, there is a possibility that inherent human dignity—and even life and death itself—could come to depend on the discretion of medical institutions and authorities; it is therefore essential for everyone to pay close attention to these developments. (ref., The Interplay Between AI, Digital ID, And Humanity, Impact Of AI Dictionaries On Humanity And Freedom)
In closing, let me share a quote from the Austrian psychiatrist Alfred Adler (1870–1937):
“Even when confined to a sickbed with an incurable illness, one can choose whether to spend one’s remaining days weeping and resenting heaven, or to live a fulfilling life filled with gratitude toward those around us.”
Sincerely grateful for your financial support.
Sources and references:
CDC researchers link cancer cells from parasite to human tumors
Cancers Are Newly Evolved Parasitic Species, Biologist Argues
A Parasite-Cancer Relationship
Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS cells)
Parkinson’s iPS Cell Therapy: First Commercial Transplant Set for October in Kyoto
What Are iPS Cells? The Two Treatments Japan Approved in 2026
