The Federal Trade Commission has reportedly accused five companies of making false statements regarding their alleged cancer cures and reached settlements with six other similar companies on the same problem.

"As long as products have been sold there has been somebody out there selling snake oil to consumers," said agency official Lydia Parnes.

This move is actually part of a campaign to inform and warn consumers about the bogus cures for several diseases. The FTC is not alone in this campaign. The Food and Drug Administration and Canadian authorities joined forces with the FTC to launch the campaign. The main idea the agency tries to transmit to consumers is that there is “no credible scientific evidence” to prove that the products marketed by the charged companies can prevent or treat cancer.

In its list of the bogus cancer cures, the FTC included essiac teas and other herbal mixtures, laetrile, black salve, mushroom extracts and also a "systematized program of thinking good thoughts."

Among the companies caught by the FTC with the bogus claims of cancer curing there were:

- Ni-Gen Nutrition of Troy, Mich.
- Westberry Enterprises of Pineville, La.
- Jim Clark's All Natural Cancer Therapy of Louisville, Ky.
- Omega Supply of San Diego
- Herbs for Cancer
- Native Essence Herb Company.

The companies who settled the dispute with the agency agreed to pay restitution ranging from $9,000 to $250,000. The five companies who refused to reach an agreement and drop their claims will go before a judge to resolve the dispute.

The FTC also sent more than 100 warning letters to advertisers who had been using false claims about their cancer-during products. Many of them already changed their claims.