melanoma study


jts

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9359807

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Altern Ther Health Med. 1995 Sep;1(4):29-37.
Five-year survival rates of melanoma patients treated by diet therapy after the manner of Gerson: a retrospective review.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:

Compare 5-year melanoma survival rates to rates in medical literature.

DESIGN:

Retrospective.

SETTING:

Hospital in Tijuana, Mexico.

PATIENTS:

White adult patients (N = 153) with superficial spreading and nodular melanoma, aged 25-72 years.

INTERVENTION:

Gerson's diet therapy: lactovegetarian; low sodium, fat and (temporarily) protein; high potassium, fluid, and nutrients (hourly raw vegetable/fruit juices). Metabolism increased by thyroid; calorie supply limited to 2600-3200 calories per day. Coffee enemas as needed for pain and appetite.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE:

5-year survival rates by stage at admission.

RESULTS:

Of 14 patients with stages I and II (localized) melanoma, 100% survived for 5 years, compared with 79% of 15,798 reported by Balch. Of 17 with stage IIIA (regionally metastasized) melanoma, 82% were alive at 5 years, in contrast to 39% of 103 from Fachklinik Hornheide. Of 33 with combined stages IIIA + IIIB (regionally metastasized) melanoma, 70% lived 5 years, compared with 41% of 134 from Fachklinik Hornheide. We propose a new stage division: IVA (distant lymph, skin, and subcutaneous tissue metastases), and IVB (visceral metastases). Of 18 with stage IVA melanoma, 39% were alive at 5 years, compared with only 6% of 194 from the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. Survival impact was not assessed for stage IVB. Male and female survival rates were identical for stages I-IIIB, but stage IVA women had a strong survival advantage.

CONCLUSIONS:

The 5-year survival rates reported here are considerably higher than those reported elsewhere. Stage IIIA/B males had exceptionally high survival rates compared with those reported by other centers.

PMID: 9359807 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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This is only the abstract. How do you get the rest of it to see how they fudged the data? Any credible source will tell you there is no evidence that Gerson therapy works. It is debunked by Quackwatch. In the USA it is illegal for children. And then Dr. Patrick Vickers points to this study. Obviously this is not an honest study.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9359807

--- [ begin quote ] ---

Altern Ther Health Med. 1995 Sep;1(4):29-37.
Five-year survival rates of melanoma patients treated by diet therapy after the manner of Gerson: a retrospective review.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:

Compare 5-year melanoma survival rates to rates in medical literature.

DESIGN:

Retrospective.

SETTING:

Hospital in Tijuana, Mexico.

PATIENTS:

White adult patients (N = 153) with superficial spreading and nodular melanoma, aged 25-72 years.

INTERVENTION:

Gerson's diet therapy: lactovegetarian; low sodium, fat and (temporarily) protein; high potassium, fluid, and nutrients (hourly raw vegetable/fruit juices). Metabolism increased by thyroid; calorie supply limited to 2600-3200 calories per day. Coffee enemas as needed for pain and appetite.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE:

5-year survival rates by stage at admission.

RESULTS:

Of 14 patients with stages I and II (localized) melanoma, 100% survived for 5 years, compared with 79% of 15,798 reported by Balch. Of 17 with stage IIIA (regionally metastasized) melanoma, 82% were alive at 5 years, in contrast to 39% of 103 from Fachklinik Hornheide. Of 33 with combined stages IIIA + IIIB (regionally metastasized) melanoma, 70% lived 5 years, compared with 41% of 134 from Fachklinik Hornheide. We propose a new stage division: IVA (distant lymph, skin, and subcutaneous tissue metastases), and IVB (visceral metastases). Of 18 with stage IVA melanoma, 39% were alive at 5 years, compared with only 6% of 194 from the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. Survival impact was not assessed for stage IVB. Male and female survival rates were identical for stages I-IIIB, but stage IVA women had a strong survival advantage.

CONCLUSIONS:

The 5-year survival rates reported here are considerably higher than those reported elsewhere. Stage IIIA/B males had exceptionally high survival rates compared with those reported by other centers.

PMID: 9359807 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

--- [ end quote ] ---

This is only the abstract. How do you get the rest of it to see how they fudged the data? Any credible source will tell you there is no evidence that Gerson therapy works. It is debunked by Quackwatch. In the USA it is illegal for children. And then Dr. Patrick Vickers points to this study. Obviously this is not an honest study.

How well controlled was the study. With a badly designed study one could "prove" that cancer can be prevented by prayer.

Ba'al Chatzaf

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How well controlled was the study. With a badly designed study one could "prove" that cancer can be prevented by prayer.

Ba'al Chatzaf

Obviously it was not well controlled. You can know that without looking at it.

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Jerry writesL

Any credible source will tell you there is no evidence that Gerson therapy works. It is debunked by Quackwatch. In the USA it is illegal for children. And then Dr. Patrick Vickers points to this study. Obviously this is not an honest study.

There's a problem with studies...

For example: Included in with the people who had cancer and who took radiation and survived, are those who would have survived without radiation and took it. So they end up being included in the statistics along with those who took radiation and survived.

My wife had cancer. So she had an operation, and afterward was told that if she did not get radiation and chemotherapy the cancer would come back even worse within two years and kill her. She decided not to take radiation or chemotherapy...

...that was ten years ago.

(just in case this is not clear... she is alive and well :smile: )

Greg

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