We live in a political world–and much as I would like to believe that politics has no role in the fight against NET, it does.

I have written before about some of the politics involved in the fight against cancer. There are political decisions being made right now in Washington, DC that will have an impact on federal spending on cancer in general and on NET in specific. I have written before about the decision in 1968 to de-fund “rare” cancers and the impact that decision had on research into NET. Anyone who wants to believe the current budget impasse in Washington will have no impact on our ability to fight this disease is dreaming–though given how little we spend at the federal level the impact on current levels likely will not be much. But our hope for more NCI spending in the next decade is likely dead.

But the budget decisions on cancer spending are not the only political things we need to be concerned with.  Ninety-seven percent of those who study climate science–including one of the leading former skeptics on the subject–are convinced global warming is real and that a significant part of that warming is caused by our actions. Most are convinced that we have maybe ten years left to right the ship or face climate change that will reduce our puny concerns with cancer generally–let alone NET–to less than a footnote. Yet less than half of all Americans now “believe” in global warming. That is down from 71 percent as recently as 2007. That change is not the result of scientific investigation–in fact, the science is stronger than ever–but rather the result of a political strategy put forth by those who have a vested financial interest in maintaining the energy status quo.

The politics of climate change matter to those of us involved in cancer research because if the world is too hot to sustain human life and human civilization then whatever we learn about cancer in the next ten years will not matter.

The politics of health care has to matter to us as well. When Steve Jobs needed information about his pNET he went to Europe, not the US. Until this year, if you wanted a Gallium scan–the most reliable way to find NETs we have–you had to go to Europe. Now, if you have the money or live close by, you can go to Houston.

During the debate over Obama’s healthcare plan some who opposed it seized on the idea of death panels, claiming the government would determine who lived and who died. But for those whose insurance is through an HMO, we already have death panels that ration care with fewer qualifications than doctors and patients. And for those without insurance…

Jane and I had the kind of platinum health insurance most people only dream of–and we paid through the nose for it. Without it, I have no doubt I would be living on the street right now–the house sold and my pension garnished to the last dime to pay for the last months of her life.

And these are only three examples. There are dozens more.

Politics matter. Oil and gas companies recognize this. Drug and insurance companies recognize this. The wealthy and powerful realize this.

We need to realize it, too.