Cancer cure being ignored by Big Business

[cdubb]

"Oh, I don't like the reference points, it doesn't have enough hard science etc behind it" is a lazy rationalization that is killing us. That's largely because "hard science" aka medical research is often EXCLUSIVELY supported by pharmaceutical companies and their ilk.

I've worked in the medical and legal fields, and have family in other fields of business and the collusion that goes on regarding this stuff is frightening. Of course what we eat makes a difference in our health and can cure illnesses, who the hell is so short-sighted as to have a problem understanding that?

Pharmaceutical industry sponsorship and research outcome and quality: systematic review
http://www.bmj.com/content/326/7400/1167

Main points
- Research funded by drug companies was less likely to be published than research funded by other sources.
- Studies sponsored by pharmaceutical companies were more likely to have outcomes favouring the sponsor than were studies with other sponsors (odds ratio 4.05; 95% confidence interval 2.98 to 5.51; 18 comparisons).

So yes, there can be a publication bias for Industry sponsored studies. Less likely to publish Inconclusive/poor results.

However, there are many non-pharm sponsored studies that are rigorous. And these are the ones people take more seriously.

In orthopedics, there are often studies showing the successful results of new surgeon-designed implants, with say 95% positive results. Most people know that the person who designed something will of course be able to get better results, and we wait for studies published from independent surgeons to confirm.

The quality of research depends on how rigorous scientifically it is. That Lamson paper on secretin in treating autism was a single case report. He has published nothing else on this. Did he try it on other patients after having success with the first one? Did it work again?

http://www.altmedrev.com/
That Alternative Medicine Review Journal that published 90% of Lamson's studies is even shutting down!

"Alternative Medicine Review Volume 17, Number 2 will be published as digital only.* This is last scheduled issue of AMR.* We will consider one more digital issue to ensure publication of pending reviewed articles. AMR will be refunding subscriptions and leaving the website up for full access to our archives.*"

[Bomm Bastic]

Pharmaceutical industry sponsorship and research outcome and quality: systematic review
http://www.bmj.com/content/326/7400/1167

Main points
- Research funded by drug companies was less likely to be published than research funded by other sources.
- Studies sponsored by pharmaceutical companies were more likely to have outcomes favouring the sponsor than were studies with other sponsors (odds ratio 4.05; 95% confidence interval 2.98 to 5.51; 18 comparisons).

So yes, there can be a publication bias for Industry sponsored studies. Less likely to publish Inconclusive/poor results.

However, there are many non-pharm sponsored studies that are rigorous. And these are the ones people take more seriously.

In orthopedics, there are often studies showing the successful results of new surgeon-designed implants, with say 95% positive results. Most people know that the person who designed something will of course be able to get better results, and we wait for studies published from independent surgeons to confirm.

The quality of research depends on how rigorous scientifically it is. That Lamson paper on secretin in treating autism was a single case report. He has published nothing else on this. Did he try it on other patients after having success with the first one? Did it work again?

http://www.altmedrev.com/
That Alternative Medicine Review Journal that published 90% of Lamson's studies is even shutting down!

"Alternative Medicine Review Volume 17, Number 2 will be published as digital only.* This is last scheduled issue of AMR.* We will consider one more digital issue to ensure publication of pending reviewed articles. AMR will be refunding subscriptions and leaving the website up for full access to our archives.*"

great post, good points - especially the whole secretin/autism situation. The strongest advocate of that treatment regimen was by the guy who owned the company producing the treatment (sorry...name and corp. escapes me 2001 was a long time ago for this addled brain). But it proves that advocates of naturapathic remedies are no less susceptible to the siren song of the almighty dollar.

Also....what happens in the raw, exposed environment of a petri dish (in vitro studies) is not sufficient nor indicative of what occurs within the human body and all it's bio-physiological defense mechanisms. Same for animal studies. These are merely initial steps towards the gold standard of randomized, double-blind/placebo-controlled clinical trials.

[cdubb]

great post, good points - especially the whole secretin/autism situation. The strongest advocate of that treatment regimen was by the guy who owned the company producing the treatment (sorry...name and corp. escapes me 2001 was a long time ago for this addled brain). But it proves that advocates of naturapathic remedies are no less susceptible to the siren song of the almighty dollar.

Also....what happens in the raw, exposed environment of a petri dish (in vitro studies) is not sufficient nor indicative of what occurs within the human body and all it's bio-physiological defense mechanisms. Same for animal studies. These are merely initial steps towards the gold standard of randomized, double-blind/placebo-controlled clinical trials.

*correction* Naturopathic doctors treat you using any or all of the following modalities: botanical medicine, physical medicine, hydrotherapy, nutrition, exercise prescription and lifestyle counseling. Homeopaths treat using an ultra-dilute "micro" dose of a plant, mineral or other substance found in nature. Naturopaths can practice homeopathy.


http://www.altmedrev.com/publications/15/2/147.pdf

Here is his other single patient case report on using diluted intravenous hydrocholoric acid (HCL) to treat a patient with "MRSA boils on her buttocks".
He says how the HCL acid injections prevented the boils from occuring, but then she had to stop due to expense. At the end he states "The patient recognized that outbreaks only appeared with great stress, such as visits to a lawyer, a court appearance, or seeing her former husband with his girlfriend."

His references to using intravenous HCL are from the 1930's. Somehow in the last 70 years no other doctors thought it was wise to treat patients by injecting ACID into their veins.

I am happy with people eating healthy, or even try naturopathic medicine, but these are the patients who will skip mainstream medical treatments. You don't know how often a patient with cancer will want to treat it "naturally", and when it's to foregone want chemo/radiation.

[doulos]

You don't know how often a patient with cancer will want to treat it "naturally", and when it's to foregone want chemo/radiation.

My understanding is that this was the case with Steve Jobs, but I could be mistaken.

[blayze]

My understanding is that this was the case with Steve Jobs, but I could be mistaken.

Yup... had he treated it the "normal" way immediately instead of wasting 6 months traveling around the world trying bullshit organic/naturopathic/religious remedies, they say he would've made it.

[cdubb]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwa...ent-regrets/2/

http://gawker.com/5849543/harvard-ca...ative-medicine

Wow pancreatic cancer is a generally very bad one, but Jobs had a slow growing mild type.
One of the smartest people on the entire planet, made a dumb decision and waited 9 months before deciding on surgery

[dongjohnson]

This (the experience of Steve Jobs) is really the epitome of the problem in my mind. People assume that modern pharmaceuticals and alternative treatments are mutually exclusive. They are not.

There are many natural substances that are potentiators for traditional medications; that's actually one of the best uses for alternative treatments to me. People in America do not appear to be able to adopt a multi-disciplinary approach. It's constantly all or nothing.

[blayze]

This (the experience of Steve Jobs) is really the epitome of the problem in my mind. People assume that modern pharmaceuticals and alternative treatments are mutually exclusive. They are not.

There are many natural substances that are potentiators for traditional medications; that's actually one of the best uses for alternative treatments to me. People in America do not appear to be able to adopt a multi-disciplinary approach. It's constantly all or nothing.

He needed surgery, but he was against it because he felt it was too invasive. Nothing to do with natural vs. pharmaceutical medicine.

[Loch]

Thankfully thalidomide is still owned so there's nothing stopping researchers testing it as an anti-cancer drug.

Yes, that Thalidomide.




Oh, and DCA has apparently been patented for cancer treatment, so someone may well make a buck yet!

I trust science, but not blindly.

[Bomm Bastic]

This (the experience of Steve Jobs) is really the epitome of the problem in my mind. People assume that modern pharmaceuticals and alternative treatments are mutually exclusive. They are not.

There are many natural substances that are potentiators for traditional medications; that's actually one of the best uses for alternative treatments to me. People in America do not appear to be able to adopt a multi-disciplinary approach. It's constantly all or nothing.

There's a name for alternative treatments that work. It's "medicine". And Doctors of Osteopathy (D.O.'s) can be found, you just have to do a little leg work. They're as legit as Allopaths (M.D.'s) , yet treat the whole body as you suggested.

[Veritas0Aequitas]

I do receive a lot of benefit from them. I'd probably be back in surgery again in a few years if I wasn't on them now.

[dongjohnson]

He needed surgery, but he was against it because he felt it was too invasive. Nothing to do with natural vs. pharmaceutical medicine.

Well, some people consider surgery too radical and not natural etc. My point was only that people in the U.S. are too all or nothing about anything about conventional versus alternative medicine.

[cdubb]

Well, some people consider surgery too radical and not natural etc. My point was only that people in the U.S. are too all or nothing about anything about conventional versus alternative medicine.

I find some people complain of severe pain, but refuse to take any pain meds because it is "not natural".

But they still want some surgery where we give them temporarily more pain, and need to take those pills afterwards.

[dongjohnson]

I find some people complain of severe pain, but refuse to take any pain meds because it is "not natural".

But they still want some surgery where we give them temporarily more pain, and need to take those pills afterwards.

I've known people like that too. It's bizarre.

[Bomm Bastic]

Well, some people consider surgery too radical and not natural etc. My point was only that people in the U.S. are too all or nothing about anything about conventional versus alternative medicine.

Dude. Stick to hockey, please.