wondering why any doctor would subject anyone to chemo?
Chemotherapy Quotes
"Two to 4% of cancers respond to chemotherapy….The bottom line is for a few kinds of cancer chemo is a life extending procedure—Hodgkin’s disease, Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL), Testicular cancer, and Choriocarcinoma."—Ralph Moss, Ph.D. 1995 Author of Questioning Chemotherapy.
"NCI now actually anticipates further increases, and not decreases, in cancer mortality rates, from 171/100,000 in 1984 to 175/100,000 by the year 2000!"–Samuel Epstein.
"A study of over 10,000 patients shows clearly that chemo’s supposedly strong track record with Hodgkin’s disease (lymphoma) is actually a lie. Patients who underwent chemo were 14 times more likely to develop leukemia and 6 times more likely to develop cancers of the bones, joints, and soft tissues than those patients who did not undergo chemotherapy (NCI Journal 87:10)."—John Diamond
Children who are successfully treated for Hodgkin’s disease are 18 times more likely later to develop secondary malignant tumours. Girls face a 35 per cent chance of developing breast cancer by the time they are 40—which is 75 times greater than the average. The risk of leukemia increased markedly four years after the ending of successful treatment, and reached a plateau after 14 years, but the risk of developing solid tumours remained high and approached 30 per cent at 30 years (New Eng J Med, March 21, 1996)
"Success of most chemotherapy is appalling…There is no scientific evidence for its ability to extend in any appreciable way the lives of patients suffering from the most common organic cancer…chemotherapy for malignancies too advanced for surgery which accounts for 80% of all cancers is a scientific wasteland."—Dr Ulrich Abel. 1990
The New England Journal of Medicine Reports— War on Cancer Is a Failure: Despite $30 billion spent on research and treatments since 1970, cancer remains "undefeated," with a death rate not lower but 6% higher in 1997 than 1970, stated John C. Bailar III, M.D., Ph.D., and Heather L. Gornik, M.H.S., both of the Department of Health Studies at the University of Chicago in Illinois. "The war against cancer is far from over," stated Dr. Bailar. "The effect of new treatments for cancer on mortality has been largely disappointing."
"My studies have proved conclusively that untreated cancer victims live up to four times longer than treated individuals. If one has cancer and opts to do nothing at all, he will live longer and feel better than if he undergoes radiation, chemotherapy or surgery, other than when used in immediate life-threatening situations."—Prof Jones. (1956 Transactions of the N.Y. Academy of Medical Sciences, vol 6. There is a fifty page article by Hardin Jones of National Cancer Institute of Bethesda, Maryland. He surveyed global cancer of all types and compared the untreated and the treated, to conclude that the untreated outlives the treated, both in terms of quality and in terms of quantity. Secondly he said, "Cancer does not cure". Third he said "There is a physiological mechanism which finishes off an individual".)
"With some cancers, notably liver, lung, pancreas, bone and advanced breast, our 5 year survival from traditional therapy alone is virtually the same as it was 30 years ago."—P Quillin, Ph.D.
"1.7% increase in terms of success rate a year, its nothing. By the time we get to the 24 century we might have effective treatments, Star Trek will be long gone by that time." Ralph Moss.
"….chemotherapy’s success record is dismal. It can achieve remissions in about 7% of all human cancers; for an additional 15% of cases, survival can be "prolonged" beyond the point at which death would be expected without treatment. This type of survival is not the same as a cure or even restored quality of life."—John Diamond, M.D.
"Keep in mind that the 5 year mark is still used as the official guideline for "cure" by mainstream oncologists. Statistically, the 5 year cure makes chemotherapy look good for certain kinds of cancer, but when you follow cancer patients beyond 5 years, the reality often shifts in a dramatic way."—Diamond.
Studies show that women taking tamoxifen after surviving breast cancer then have a high propensity to develop endometrial cancer. The NCI and Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, which makes the drug, aggressively lobbied State of California regulators to keep them from adding tamoxifen to their list of carcinogens. Zeneca is one of the sponsors of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
"Most cancer patients in this country die of chemotherapy…Chemotherapy does not eliminate breast, colon or lung cancers. This fact has been documented for over a decade. Yet doctors still use chemotherapy for these tumours…Women with breast cancer are likely to die faster with chemo than without it."—Alan Levin, M.D.
According to the Cancer Statistics for 1995, published by the ACS in their small journal (2), the 5-year survival rate has improved from 50%-56% for whites and 39%-40% for bl
Gary, did you bother to read? if I’m not mistaken the NEJ of medicine was quoted as well as several md’s which if I’m not mistaken stands for medical doctors, also some with PHD’s. what more do you need?I don’t recall mentioning anything about alt med.
I watched my mother, my aunt, her husband , a friend die from this treatment, and now my cousin is dying from this junk science, don’t even bother to defend it. it’s monstrous, but you are welcome to believe it if you want, I don’t and I’ll take my chances, as you’ll take your’s. good luck
"Quotes" ?
Yep, quote mining is a poor and frequently invalid form of taking a quote out of context and pretending it is a fact on its own.
Don’t forget: Increases in cancer are due to people living longer so they are more likely to die of cancer (we all have to die of something!). Dying at 85 from cancer, rather than at 35 from scurvy is known as "medical progress".
Doctors are making big money from cancer treatments. There are alternative medicine cancer treatment clinics in Mexico, the Cherokee Nation of Mexico has one down there. Dr. Lorraine Day got cancer and refused the big 3 medical treatments-surgery, chemo and radiation and used natural medicine. (she did have the end of the tumor removed because it was extremely painful to touch, not the same surgery a cancer doctor would have done.)
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there are powerful alternatives out there but due to legal reasons, it is considered research. look up bob beck and royal rife. you’ll be shocked. these two people used real science, and nothing like energy therapy or homeopathy or whatever it is (no offense).
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Please provide sources for your anecdotes.
If you are trying to say that ‘alternative’ treatments work better than chemo, you haven’t succeeded.
Edit: I’m talking about links for your sources – surely you don’t expect us to go looking?
Edit: William, that’s a best answer (or maybe skepdoc’s). See the importance of checking sources?
Cancer is absolutely horrible and will bring out emotional responses rather than rational responses from loved ones. I’ve experienced my share.
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On a quick glance, your most recent source was 1997, You even quote a source from 1956….when chemotherapy didn’t even exist. Anyone can cherry pick various stats and make an argument to support any point of view they’ve decided in advance they want to support. The bulk of it seems to be anecdotal quotes from people who’s opinions agree with yours. Ralph Moss PhD is a anti-science cancer quack whose views are on a level of credibility with the recently deceased cancer nutjob, Hulda Clark. Guess what Hulda Clark died of? Cancer.
Your claim simply isn’t true. The format of your question/rant makes it impossible to track down the original sources of all your dubious facts. Plus, believe it or not, I do have other things to do.
First of all, cancer isn’t one disease, it is hundreds of different diseases. No one approach works for all cancers. Chemotherapy works better in some cancers than others. It is most often used as an adjuvant in cancers where the primary treatment is surgery, breast cancer for instance. It is offered as a last hope in metastatic disease.
In the last several decades there have been huge advances in many kinds of cancers. These include surgical, hormonal and chemotherapy treatments. There are millions of people alive today who wouldn’t have been several decades ago thanks to scientific progress in the diagnosis, staging and treatment of cancers. Again, chemo is just one part of the treatment.
http://www.cancer.gov/statistics
http://www.bccancer.bc.ca/PPI/default.htm
Alt Med has nothing at all to offer other than false hope and wasted time.
Yes chemo is harsh and unpleasant. Dying from untreated cancer is even harsher and more unpleasant. I hope you never get cancer, but if you do, and chemo is recommended, I hope you will take a rational approach to making your decision.
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You only quote one reliable source, the NEJM, and it doesn’t say anything is wrong with chemo. All it says is that people who survive leukemia (thanks to chemo) are more likely to get cancer again later. You’ve assumed that this means that the chemo causes future cancer because that fits your existing beliefs. Rather, I’m sure, that this article is actually about the fact that some people are more likely to get cancer than others. And so people who get leukemia often end up with cancer again later in life. I’m sorry your family has faced so much cancer that’s not fair and no one should have to deal with that. I watched my grandmother suffer through chemo and still die from breast cancer. But your conclusion that it was the chemo that killed them, or that chemo was useless since they didn’t survive, is wrong. It’s much more likely the the chemo extending their time with you, even if only by a little bit. Chemo is a brutal treatment, but we use it because it works and you’re not going to find anything other than psuedoscience and conspiracy theories that say other wise. Instead of ranting like a child and hunting for discredited works and out of context quotes that seem to make your position correct, why don’t you honor the memories of your lost family members by actually educating yourself on cancer and its treatment.
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Not to mention when you see chemo given to people on TV, it doesn’t even look like it is doing anything! So that’s another way we know it doesn’t work. I guess any money hungry doctor can just start handing out the chemo like they do on TV. Only big money doctors and other really elite people like polo players ever get the real treatment$. Pilots too. And those fancy women you see at the kentucky derby on TV. The real sick part is that doctors allow their kids to get chemo and take these other fake medicines. Profiting off of their own children!
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My aunt went through chemo and it saved her life. And she is still alive and kicking 20 years later.
And since she ate healthy and took vitamins while undergoing it, she bounced back remarkably fast.
Chemo sucks, but the alternative is worse.
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"Quotes" ?
Yep, quote mining is a poor and frequently invalid form of taking a quote out of context and pretending it is a fact on its own.
Don’t forget: Increases in cancer are due to people living longer so they are more likely to die of cancer (we all have to die of something!). Dying at 85 from cancer, rather than at 35 from scurvy is known as "medical progress".
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