Cancer is now the leading cause of death in the United States. This video details a new theory of cancer which could lead to novel cures.

American medical care may be the most expensive in the world, and it is definitely not worth every penny. A recent study highlighted the stark contrast between what the United States spends on its health system and the quality of care it delivers.

The report shows that the United States spends more than twice as much on each person for health care as most other industrialized countries. But it has fallen to last place among those countries in preventing deaths through use of timely and effective medical care.

The findings are likely to provide supporting evidence for the notion that the nation’s health care system needs to be fixed.

Despite a price which can reach $100,000 a year, Avastin has become one of the most popular cancer drugs in the world. In 2007, sales of the drug reached $3.5 billion, with $2.3 billion in the United States.

But studies show the drug prolongs life by only a few months, if that. And some newer studies suggest the drug might be less effective against cancer than the FDA believed when the drug was approved.

Avastin also has serious, if infrequent, side effects, some of which can be lethal. And because it is almost always used with standard chemotherapy, patients on Avastin do not escape chemotherapy’s side effects, either.

If Avastin were inexpensive, or if truly held cancer at bay, few might care. But Avastin raises troubling questions. What does it mean to say the drug works? Is slowing the growth of tumors enough if life is not significantly prolonged or improved? How much evidence should there be before billions of dollars are spent on a drug? And when should cost be factored into the equation?

Some in the pharmaceutical industry believe that the price of Avastin will raise concerns about whether drugs are worth it, leading to a backlash like price controls or restrictions on use.

Despite the anxieties of modern times, surveys show that happiness has been on the rise around the world in recent years. The uptick is attributed to economic growth in previously poor countries and the democratization of others, along with rising social tolerance for women and minority groups.

Denmark is the happiest nation and Zimbabwe the least. The United States ranks 16th.

The survey, which involves 52 countries and 350,000 people, found that the Happiness Index created from the answers rose in 40 countries between 1981 and 2007, and it fell in the other 12.