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Posts classified under: 2001

Pondering Over the Chemotherapy Treatment

Liao Ruozhu

Despite the general high standard of living towards the close of the twentieth century, there still exist too many potential time bombs of disasters-in-waiting. ‘Quick Fix’ styles become part of the ‘busy and blind’ way of life, disrupting our otherwise peaceful lives with worries in parallel with shadows of the two world wars. The shortsighted consumer mass turns a deaf ear to the cries of a wise few, frequently allowing it to drown in the vigorous flow of the mainstream. Consequently, pesticides and fertilizers move from the battlefields into the farms; damaging tranquilizers and leniently allowed into homes as domestic cleaners; harmful preservatives and additives conquer the food industries unchecked.

Ralph W. Moss Ph.D., in his book “Questioning Chemotherapy” wrote about the predecessor of “killer-chemicals”; chemicals warfare weapons, which has made in-roads into the medical field; emerging eventually as an important medical tool. The book took a brave stand to challenge systematically the need of and safety in the administration of chemotherapy to patients.

Medical publications and other media have been publicizing chemotherapy as the savior of cancer patients. The general public has been subtly educated to accept that the only reliable process of terminating cancer is by way of surgery, chemotherapy and followed by radiotherapy. Other methods are considered non-effective, unacceptable and even harmful. Dr. Ralph consolidated information (both for and against the use of chemotherapy) to help the reader to understand the inside story of power and politics in the medical profession at various levels. He also differentiated between myths and facts. All speeches and written articles were dated, identified and vetted, thus providing a complete and carefully verified source of information, which serves to discourage undesirable misuses or misquotes as well as ignorant blind followers.

Credit of improved survival rate of cancer patients does not attribute to chemotherapy and radiotherapy as stated from the medical field’s statistics. If we bring out and compare those published and unpublished medical reports, the scenario is not so optimistic.

In order to produce inspiring results, the medical authority intentionally or unintentionally select healthier patients for tests and reports with cautious sentences. For example, a drug that can cause a tumor to shrink is considered effective within limits. However, looking at the whole picture of the patient’s condition, effectiveness in this aspect may not mean the patient is saved. Shrinking the tumor at one place may create other more serious problems elsewhere or the shrinkage may be temporary, however it might expand uncontrollably in future. Unfortunately, many reports prefer to mesmerize on local results, and we don’t get to read the future follow-up reports anymore. Besides, temporarily subsided tumors after chemotherapy is described as ‘cured’ although the patient dies from it later.

On the other hand, modern medicine has refined the definition of the stages of cancer. Condition is considered improved after one course of chemotherapy treatment and the next in order is expected to follow. This procedure generates hope for the doctor and the patient as well as the patient’s family. However, granted the limitations of all the assumptions, the most important test procedure is not disclosed; that is, the Direct or Indirect Evidence to prove the effectiveness of a chosen treatment course. Doctors and patients are selected randomly to form at least two experimental groups for comparison purposes. Although there are constrains in applying to chemotherapy case, test is never conducted according to the procedure. Therefore, even if there were improvements in the survival rate of patients, credit cannot be attributed to chemotherapy and radiation alone.

More efficient advanced equipment can accurately diagnose early stages in cancer. At the same time, we must not forget the other important aspect, that of progress in medical hygiene and healthcare knowledge. The writer does not dispute the contribution made by chemotherapy. He devoted many pages to describe professionally various degrees of success in some rare cases, although the more commonly seen cancers are not in this category.

The book also mentioned that in America, the ‘market share’ dominated by chemotherapy is certainly not within the imagination of laymen. Costs of medication per patient alone range from US$7,000 to US$75,000; without even considering the cost of hospitalization or bone marrow transplant, which may be anywhere between US$60,000 and US$200,000. In America, the world’s biggest producer, every manufacturer has royalties. Many senior staff members in hospital organizations are listed on the board of directors of pharmaceutical manufacturers. These manufacturers are also strong supporters and avid sponsors of medical journals and periodicals as well as periodically organized seminars. The history of patient attorneys well controlling its medicine’s entire development began when after the 2nd World War, the leader of U.S. Army Chemical Warfare Service was chosen as the first head of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Many patients who needed only surgery initially now require chemotherapy and radiation follow-ups preferring to ‘over-kill’ as defense strategy. Like in a cocktail, variety of drugs are combined in chemotherapy treatment. We all know that cancer cells can develop resistance against the drugs, ironically, many of these are deadly drugs. We’ll realize the potency of these drugs by observing the precautions that medical personals have to undertake in their handling procedure. However, medical personals are frequently subtle when explaining the possible side effects to patients. Some patients who perform chemotherapy treatment by themselves at home do not fully understand that these drugs are health hazards and may unknowingly pollute public waters or endanger the lives of family members.

The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has conducted a nontoxic cancer treatment on cancer patients with very positive results but was cover-up. Dr. Ralph discovered and reported about it and was sacked for doing so. Henceforth, he was determined to collect nontoxic cancer treatment therapies from all over the world and succeeded in having them published. In his opinion, the present-day American medical mainstream discriminates and even eliminates other natural treatment therapies even though they may be successful. Without giving patients the option to choose alternative treatment and suppressing related information, the medical authority is violating the patients’ rights to freedom of choice and knowledge. Life is not just surviving, there must be quality in living before humanity can shine through.

After reading his book, I deeply appreciate the author’s great love for humankind and his vast trove of medical knowledge. I am touched by his tremendous courage to unveil the secrecy that shrouds today’s medical practice, allowing us to have a clear vision of our direction of choice at the most critical times of our lives.