Cancer on the Rise: The Commodification of an Unhealthy System and the Path to Healing

Cancer rates are climbing, yet so many people struggle to understand why. From rare and aggressive cancers to diagnoses in the young and seemingly healthy, we are witnessing a global health crisis with few real answers. Medicine has advanced in early detection, yet more people are developing cancer than ever before. The root causes are multifaceted (environmental, emotional, social, and biological) but one thing is clear: we have commodified an unhealthy bodily system, normalizing the conditions that make cancer thrive.

Cancer begins at the cellular level, where mutations cause unchecked growth. But why do these mutations happen in the first place? A combination of factors contributes to this crisis. Environmental toxins, from the water we drink to the air we breathe, introduce carcinogens into our bodies. Forever chemicals, pesticides, and industrial pollutants accumulate over time, increasing our risk. Throughout our lifetime, our bodies absorb toxins that may stay with us for decades, creating an ideal environment for cancer to emerge. Chronic stress leads to prolonged exposure to cortisol, a hormone that, while essential in short bursts, becomes damaging in excess. Fear-based news cycles, political propaganda, and social media addiction all feed into this stress loop, dysregulating our systems and impairing the body’s ability to maintain balance. Beyond environmental and physiological stressors, trauma and emotional pain manifest in the body. Many holistic traditions recognize cancer as a physical symptom of long-held pain, a signal that healing is needed. Inflammation, immune dysfunction, and poor lifestyle choices all contribute to a weakened system, leaving the body vulnerable to disease.

While ancient civilizations, like the Egyptians, noted cases of tumors, cancer was not the widespread epidemic it is today. In rural Africa, where processed foods, industrial pollutants, and high-stress lifestyles are less prevalent, cancer rates remain much lower. This contrast begs the question: have we created a world that fosters disease? The modern lifestyle has normalized behaviors that disrupt our body’s equilibrium. Addiction to technology and social media is now widely accepted. The constant dopamine-seeking cycle of digital interactions fuels cortisol addiction, placing the body in a prolonged state of stress. Instead of gathering in circles for support and shared healing, we isolate in digital spaces that promote comparison, anxiety, and fear. Perhaps most concerning is the commodification of illness. Cancer has become an industry, where pharmaceutical companies profit from expensive treatments, while little attention is given to addressing root causes. Disease creates demand, and demand fuels profit.

Healing is possible, but it requires a shift away from the commodification of disease and toward holistic, community-based wellness. Detoxifying our bodies and environments is a crucial first step. This means being mindful of contaminants in water, supporting organic farming and regenerative agriculture, and reducing exposure to endocrine disruptors found in plastics, cosmetics, and processed foods. Regulating stress and cortisol addiction is equally important. Unplugging from the media cycle, practicing mindfulness and breathwork, and prioritizing real-life community gatherings help reset the nervous system and restore balance. Rebuilding the body’s natural defenses requires nourishing ourselves with whole, plant-based, and anti-inflammatory foods while also supporting the body’s detox pathways through movement, sweating, and lymphatic drainage. Utilizing, protecting, advocating and cultivating natural medicines like cannabis and peyote, which have been used for centuries in healing traditions, is also essential. We must prioritize homeostasis within the body and normalize plant-based medicine as not an alternative, but our original medicine.

Beyond physical health, healing requires a deeper reconnection with the sacred. Honoring the body as a living ceremony, looking to nature for guidance, and creating sacred spaces for healing. Through men and women’s circles, community gatherings, or nature-based rituals, these spaces help restore a sense of balance and belonging.

The overuse of technology, lack of education, and environmental degradation have been weaponized against us. Cancer is a reflection of a system designed to keep us sick, diseased, stressed, and dependent. The question remains: who benefits from this cycle, and how can we take back our power? Healing is resistance. When we educate ourselves, detoxify our bodies, and reconnect with each other, we break the cycle of commodified illness. Cancer does not have to be inevitable. This is a call to action, a reminder to reclaim our health, our communities, and our connection to the Earth. The time is now: unplug, gather, nourish, and transform together!

By Violeta-Gaia Obelar