The Correct ... Incorrect ... and Over-the Top comments of Santosh (SH) and Fr. Ivo (ICD)
SH: modern evidence-based scientific medicine has progressed over the past two or three decades ---- Correct SH: The following cancers are completely curable even in advanced stage ... Incorrect. SH: "are completely curable (even) in advanced stages" (in the above sentence) .... too broad a statement. Hence it is Over-the Top. There are many exceptions. It is certainly worth the effort to treat the patients with advanced stage cancer mentioned below. The goal is to improve quality and length of life, with the (20-50%) hope for LONG TERM (1-3 years) survival. We are specifically talking of advanced / relapsed cancers. (Scientists need to be specific). Generally when patients fail second-line therapy, and definitely third-line therapy, in the types of cancers listed, it is wise to consider hospice and for the patient to prepare to meets the maker. SH: many other cancers, including certain types of lung and breast cancers, are curable if diagnosed and treated in the early stages with modern scientific medical treatments.--- Correct. GL comment: We never promise patients a cure. Only a charlatan does. Time tells us if we succeed in curing the given patient. Upfront, it is correct to state "potentially curable." ICD: no cure for such advanced stages of cancer, we had always a defeat ... Correct, but there are exceptions. ICD: Miracles will be rare.... Correct ICD: Most people die of (their) cancer ... Statistically Correct for India. Statistically Correct for USA too; though we are approaching the overall 50% cure rate for all cancer (lumped together). Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the USA. Fiver-Year survival is an empirical end-point; and poor surrogate for CURE for most cancers ICD: Hodgkins disease is incurable ... Incorrect, except for advanced and relapsed cases. Early stage Hodgkins has a 20% relapse rate. Advanced stage Hodgkins has a 50% relapse rate. Recurrent Hodgkins has a 50% relapse rate. ICD: Even diagnosis of cancer in its asymptomatic stage is quite a problem.... Correct for India. And Correct for USA except for Cervix, Breast and Prostate cancer. ICD: We should accept the limits of Medicine.... Correct. ICD: There is no cure of cancer so far.... too broad a statement hence it is Over-the Top. ICD: Modern Western medicine and homeopathy, and adjunct chicken soup therapy, as well as sincere existential faith in God and prayer, can help the patient in the pains and agony of such an illness... Correct ICD: It cannot cure...unfortunately... Correct. It is unfortunate when cancer cannot be cured. GL comment: Science and Religion are not the enemies. Cancer is the enemy. We can use all help we can get to help the patient fight and beat their cancer. The greatest strides in cancer is NOT in treatment, even though that is what we try to do and claim. Greatest strides in cancer are because of prevention of cancer and early detection. Great strides have also been made to improve quality of life in patients that are cured as well as patients that are not cured. Cancer patients and their treating physicians can do with a lot of prayer and improved science. The source of the comfusaum: Science of the word "CURE": A cancer can never be termed cured, because nobody can predict the future. A cancer is deemed curable if the statistical possibility of cure with treatment exceeds 30%. So the word does not apply to an individual case. Thus a 'curable' case is no guaranteed that the patient will be cured. At the same time an 'incurable' case could be treated (for cure) with the hope that the individual patient will be one of the 30%. A 30% cure rate is better than a 10% cure rate and better than 0% cure - which happens if the cancer is not treated. The potential benefit of 'curative treatment' should be balanced against the potential of side-effects of the 'curative treatment' as well as the effects of the progressive / untreated cancer. Here is a true-life story told on national news yesterday. It involves charity, overcoming disability and forestalling death, in spite of doctors, medicine and science. Inspiring account about life. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/05/01/assignment_america/main4984493.shtml Regards, GL ------------ Santosh Helekar > This is a myth that has been propagated by lay people, journalists > and old-fashioned out-of-touch doctors who have not bothered to keep track > of how modern evidence-based scientific medicine has progressed over the > past two or three decades. The following cancers are now completely > curable even in advanced stages: > > Choriocarcinoma (placenta) > Testicular cancer (testicle) > Acute lymphoid leukemia in children (blood) > Large cell lymphoma (lymphoid tissue) > Acute promyelocytic leukemia (blood) > Burkitt's lymphoma (lymphoid tissue) > Hodgkin's disease (lymphoid tissue) > Ewing's sarcoma (bone) > Rhabdomyosarcoma (muscle) > Wilm's tumor (kidney) > > In addition, many other cancers, including certain types of lung and breast > cancers, are curable if diagnosed and treated in the early stages with modern > scientific medical treatments. ------------- Fr. Ivo C. de Souza: This would be beneficial for our scientific 'beliefs'. But the reality is totally different. There is not cure for such advanced stages of cancer, we had always a defeat. Miracles will be rare. Most people die of cancer. A young man died of leukemia after all the modern treatment and expensive surgery. Hodgkin's disease is incurable. It is a pity that Dr.Santosh is not an oncologist. He would have cured all types of cancer, both at advanced and early stages, with 'faith' in scientific discoveries and peer-reviewed and double-blind controlled, evidenced medicine... Dr.Ernesto Borges gave palliative medication and provided surgery for thousands of cancer patients (really wonderful oncologist and surgeon that he was), but he himself died of 'incurable cancer'. Even diagnosis of cancer in its asymptomatic stage is quite a problem. At last, we should accept the limits of Medicine. There is no cure of cancer so far. Modern Western medicine and homeopathy, and adjunct chicken soup therapy, as well as sincere existential faith in God and prayer, can help the patient in the pains and agony of such an illness... It cannot cure...unfortunately...Regards.
