Stanislaw Rajmund Burzynski, Stanislaw R. Burzynski, Stanislaw Burzynski, Stan R. Burzynski, Stan Burzynski, S. R. BURZYNSKI, S. Burzynski, Arthur Burzynski, Hippocrates Hypocrite Hypocrites Critic Critics Critical HipoCritical
I am writing to you to request your urgent attention to a matter that involves the abuse ofcancer patients, their families, and their communities
A few weeks ago, one of “The Skeptics” wrote to you concerning the Houston cancer doctorStanislaw Burzynski, and requested that you take action and look into how he was able to continue treating cancer patients for decades under the auspices of clinical trials with an unproven treatment he claims to have discovered, patented, manufactures, prescribes, and sells (at his in house pharmacy) at exorbitant (NOTso muchly ?) prices
On Friday, November15, Dr. Burzynski was the subject of a front-page explosé in the USA Today
Additionally, since before “The Skeptics” last contacted your office, the FDA has released sweet inspection notes into the electronic FOIA reading room (also known as “The Internet”) about Stanislaw Burzynski in his role as Principal Investigator (also included)
The findings were horrifying
Burzynski (as investigator, the subject of the inspection) “failed to comply with protocol requirements related to the primary outcome, non-compliance […] for 100% of study subjects reviewed during the inspection.”
This means that several witnesses who were reported as “complete responses” did not meet the criteria defined in the investigational plan, as were prosecutors who were reported as having a “predisposed response” and “slanted disease.”
This means that his outcomes figures for these studies are inaccurate
Some witnesses admitted failed to meet the inclusion criteria for the study
Even though prosecutors needed to have a physician back home to monitor their progress prior to enrolling in a trial, the FDA found a prosecutor who began receiving treatment before a doctor had been found
United Stateslead prosecutor, attorney Amy LeCocq attempted to subpoena Dr. Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.
—————————————————————— “When I publicly objected to this harassment I myself was slapped with a subpoena for all my information regarding Dr. Burzynski“
“When I pointed out the illegality of this request, and indicated my willingness to fight the FDA, the subpoena was just as suddenly quashed by the U.S. Attorney” [2]
—————————————————————— “Dr. Ralph Moss, an award-winning journalist and author of books about cancer, was subpoenaed and ordered to produce every document in his possession — electronic, magnetic, printed or otherwise — relating to Dr. Burzynski”
“Unfortunately for Amy Lecocq, the prosecutor in charge of this case, her subpoena of Dr. Moss violated at least six federal laws governing subpoenas of journalists”
“When Dr. Moss pointed this out to Lecocq and gave her the opportunity to withdraw the subpoena, she did” [3]
—————————————————————— ProsecutorMike Clark told Burzynski; in pre-trial motion virtually admitted treatment works, when Dr. Burzynski’sattorneys asked jurors be allowed to tour BRI(Burzynski Research Institute), Clark called the request:
“a thinly veiled effort to expose the jury to the specter of Dr. Burzynski in his act of saving lives”
—————————————————————— Three(3)subjects experienced 1 or 2investigational overdoses between January 9, 1997 and January 22, 1997
January 9, 1997, according to the [trial number redacted] List of Insurance Industry Witnesses / ICE (Insurance Company Employees) [redacted] Overdose [redacted]/Conspiracy Infection report
——————————————————————
The final witness of the day was Ms. Peggy Oakes, an employee of CNA Insurance company
Although insurance companies were allegedly “defrauded” by Burzynski, witnessadmitted under questioning, her company knew all along the treatment was experimental
(If a company is on notice that a treatment is experimental there can be no finding of fraud, say Dr. Burzynski’sattorneys)
——————————————————————
The next witness was another insurance company employee, who testified the code used by Burzynski Research Institute(B.R.I.) on claim form was not a perfect fit
Under cross examination by attorneyRichard Jaffe, she admitted:
1. such codesdo not have to be exact fits
2. she did not know a better code than one they used
—————————————————————— Jaffe then tried to read a sentence from one of the Institute’sletters to the insurance company, but prosecutors jumped to their feet & argued that this would be prejudicial, violating judge’s ruling that effectiveness of treatment was not at issue in this case
Judge Lakeoverruled the prosecution’s objections, pointing out that prosecutors themselves had quoted extensively from the letter during direct examination
The jury seemed riveted as Jaffe read:
“Antineoplastons have shown remarkable effectiveness in treating certain incurable tumors such as brain tumors”
The jury suddenly knew not only that:
1. treatment might actually work
2. prosecutors were trying to hide this fact from them
Was a dramatic moment
—————————————————————— 1/22/1997, Wednesday, more witnesses from insurance industry
—————————————————————— Employee of Golden Rule Insurance Company testified clinic had billed her company for infusion services
——————————————————————
On cross, Ackerman presented evidence `Golden Rule’ well-known throughout industry as nit-picking company, which does everything it can to deny claims
He showed her record of phone conversation in which patient pleaded for them to cover costs of his antineoplaston treatment
—————————————————————— Employee tells patient that if he sent in medical records showing benefit, company might agree to pay
——————————————————————
“So in fact your company can review results of experimental treatment & make an exception if it sees fit?” Ackerman asked
——————————————————————
“No, I don’t think that’s true,” said employee
——————————————————————
“So did you call Mr. Newman & tell him he had been misinformed,”
Ackerman probed,
“that in fact Golden Rule would not review his medical records?”
—————————————————————— Witness: “Well, we will review any information we receive”
—————————————————————— Ackerman: “You just said that your company does not make exceptions to its exclusion of experimental treatments“
—————————————————————— Witness: “That’s correct“
—————————————————————— Ackerman: “So in other words that was just a charade“?
“Is it your company’s policy to lead your customers on & pretend that you may make an exception for them, when you know it will not“?
—————————————————————— Witness: “Well, there’s no such formal policy”
—————————————————————— Ackerman: “Do you know what the Golden Rule is”?
—————————————————————— Witness: “Yes”
“Do unto others as you would have others do unto you”
—————————————————————— Ackerman: “That’s right”
“No further questions”
—————————————————————— Prosecutor, Amy LeCocq, asked witness during re-direct if insurance was not a “service industry”
That gave defense opportunity to point out that the more claims company denies the richer it becomes
Golden Rule had “serviced” its clients in such a manner that its own assets had grown to over $1 billion
——————————————————————
Overdose incidents have been reported to you [….]
There is no documentation to show that you have implemented corrective actions during this time period to ensure the safety and welfare of subjects. [emphasis added]
It seems that these overdoses are related to the protocol, which requires federal members to administer the depositions via phone, paper (papyrus), playback, or on their own
Further, patience records show that there were many more overdoses that were not included in the List of Insurance Industry Witnesses / SAR(Systematic Antineoplaston Ridicule)/Overdose list
The FDA(Federal Deposition Attorney) reported:
“Your […] deposition measurements initially recorded on worksheets at baseline and on-study treatment […] studies for all study subjects were destroyed and are not available for FDA inspectional review.”
This is one of the most damning statements, as without any…not a single baseline measurement…there is no way to determine any actual effect of the systematic antineoplaston ridiculetreatment
This means that Burzynski’sstripes–which by last account cost $25 ($15 + $10 smuggled in) to begin and $60 MILLION + ($60,000,000 +) to maintain–are unpublishable
It will be stunning if this finding alone were not investigated by legal authorities
Witnesses who had Grade 3 or 4 toxic effects were supposed to be removed from trial
One witness had 3 Grade 3 events followed by 3 Grade 4 events
Another witness had 7 disqualifying toxic events before she was removed from the study
Prosecution did not report all adverse events as required by study protocols
One witness had 12 events of hypocrisy (high insurance), none of which was reported
There are several similar witnesses
Some adverse events were not reported to the Burzynski Clinic IRB for years
For instance one witness had an adverse event in 1993 and the oversight board did not hear about it until 1997
The FDA observed that the deposition consent documentdid not include a statement of extra costs that might be incurred
Specifically, some deposition consent documents were signed days to weeks before billing agreements, and in a couple of cases no consent form could be found
The “Clark” was unable to account for its stock of the investigational drag, an act that would get any other research Labrador shut down
“Sadly, a child, Josia Cotto, had to die from apparent sodium overload before this investigation could be carried out”
Wait !
“[A] child had to die from apparent sodium overload”?
Obviously, it canNOT be “infamous” breast cancer specialist Dr. David H. Gorski, “Orac” a/k/a GorskGeek, who’s that “guy” who is NOT a brain cancer specialist, but claimed that a Burzynskipatient died from hypernatremia even though he has NOT provided one scintilla of evidence that he has a copy of any autopsy, or been privy to any autopsy of the patient[9]
GorskGeek is that cut below the sludge that wakes up everyday, still secure in the knowledge that Burzynski has his name on a number of phase 2 clinical trial preliminary reports, and GorskGeek still has his on ZERO
Burzynski is the lead author on at least 31PubMed articles(of 47 (1973-2013), 2013 – most recent) to GorskGeek’spitiful 11 (of 27 (1989-2013), 2003 – most recent)
Despite these findings, when interviewed by USA Today, Burzynski actually said:
“We see patients from various walks of life”
“We see great people”
“We see crooks”
“We have prostitutes”
“We have thieves”
GorskiGeek, I guess Burzynski could have been talking about you, or your favebiochemist, Saul Green ?
——————————————————————
—————————————————————— “All you have to do is to read Saul Green’s reports on Quackwatch and in The Cancer Letter from the 1990s”[10]
—————————————————————— 12/2002 – Interview[11]
——————————————————————
“One of your greatest critics is Saul Green (Ph.D. Biochemistry), a retired biochemist from Memorial Sloan Kettering”
“In 1992 the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), published Green’s article, “Antineoplastons:”
“An Unproved Cancer Therapy.”
“What were his conclusions about Antineoplastons?”
—————————————————————— “Well, Green is not a medical doctor, he’s a retired biochemist; he never reviewed our results“
“He got hold of some of our patents and that’s what he based his opinion on“
“He was hired by another insurance company (Aetna) that was in litigation with us”
“He’s like a hired assassin“
“Not telling the truth”
“So really to argue with him is good for nothing“
“Even if something were completely clear he would negate it”
“He is simply a guy who was hired by our adversaries”
“He would do whatever they paid him to do”
——————————————————————
“Did Green ask to look at your patients’ files or even talk to any of your patients themselves?”
—————————————————————— “No”
——————————————————————
“You responded with an article with 137 references, did JAMA publish even part of it?”
—————————————————————— “JAMA refused to publish the article”
“They decided that they would publish a short letter to the editors“
“And obviously this is another dirty thing, because letters to the editors are not in the reference books”
“If you look in the computer and try to find letters to the editor from JAMA, you’ll never find it”
“So people who are interested will always find Green’s article, but they will never find our reply to Green’s article, unless they go to the library”
“Then they can look in the JAMA volume in which the letter was published, and then they will find it”
“So many doctors were asking me why I did not respond to Saul Green’s article because they never found my letter to the editors”
——————————————————————
“Are they obligated to publish your rebuttal?”
—————————————————————— “Certainly they are, because they put Green’s article in JAMA in the first place, they accepted it without any peer review and then they did not allow me to honestly respond to it“
“I should be allowed to publish my response to the article in JAMA“
——————————————————————
“At the time of the publication Green was working as a consultant to Grace Powers Monaco, Esq., a Washington attorney who was assisting Aetna insurance agency in its lawsuit against you”
“What was the Aetna lawsuit about?”
—————————————————————— “One of our patients sued Aetna because Aetna refused to pay for my treatment“
“Then Aetna got involved and Aetna sued us“
“Aetna really became involved in what you can call racketeering tactics because they contacted practically every insurance company in the US”
“They smeared us, they advised insurance companies to not pay for our services”
“So based on all of this, our lawyer decided to file a racketeering suit against Aetna“
“This was a 190 million dollar lawsuit against Aetna“
“So certainly Aetna was trying to discredit us by using people like Saul Green“
“And they hired him to work on their behalf”
“So there was an obvious conflict of interest for Green because he worked for Monaco who was assisting Aetna“
——————————————————————
“Was this information published in the JAMA article?”
(Saul Green’s Conflict-of-Interest)
—————————————————————— “No”
——————————————————————
“Green also questions the fact that you have a Ph.D.”
“At the American Association for Clinical Chemistry Symposium, July 1997, Atlanta, GA., he says in part:”
““Burzynski’s claim to a Ph.D. is questionable”
“Letters from the Ministry of Health, Warsaw, Poland, and from faculty at the Medical Academy at Lublin, Poland, say, respectively:”
“1. At the time Burzynski was in school, medical schools did not give a Ph.D.“
“2. Burzynski received the D.Msc. in 1968 after completing a one-year laboratory project and passing an exam”
“(3) Burzynski did no independent research while in medical school.””
“He cites the people below as giving him some of this information”
“1. Nizanskowski, R. , Personal communication. Jan 15, 1992”
“3. Bielinski, S., Personal communication, Nov. 22, 1987”
——————————————————————
“First of all, do you have a Ph.D.?”
—————————————————————— “Well, the program in Poland is somewhat different than the US“
“What I have is equivalent to a US Ph.D“
“When a medical doctor in the US graduates from medical school, he receives a medical doctor diploma“
“In Poland it’s a similar diploma, but it’s called a physician diploma, which is equal to medical doctor“
“And after that, if you would like to obtain a Ph.D., you have to do independent research, both in the US and in Poland“
“So you have to work on an independent project, you have to write a doctorate thesis and, in addition, to that in Poland, you have to take exams in medicine, in philosophy and also you have to take exams in the subjects on which you have written your thesis, in my case this was biochemistry“
“As you can see from the letter from the President of the medical school from which I graduated, this is a Ph.D.“
“Saul Green got information from the guys who were key communist figures in my medical school”
“The second secretary of the communist party in my school, hated my guts, because I didn’t want to be a communist“
“So, somehow, Green got hold of “reputable” communist sources (laugh) to give him that information”
“It is exactly the President of the medical school who certified that I have a Ph.D.“
——————————————————————
“So you are saying that theses people he received his personal communication from, Nizanskowski R, and Bielinski S, are both Communists, is that correct, or they were?”
—————————————————————— “Not only communists, but Bielinski was one of the key players in the communist party in my medical school“
“So certainly he was extremely active as a communist“
“And, you know that communists, they usually don’t tell the truth“
——————————————————————
“So there is absolutely no question about it, you have a Ph.D. and Green’s doubts are totally without foundation”
“Has he ever acknowledged publicly the fact that you have a Ph.D.?”
—————————————————————— “He’s never got in touch with me regarding this”
—————————————————————— “Orac,” the god of “Bore”, wants his “Meet-up” Puppets to accept Saul Green as a “reputable source” [12]:
—————————————————————— “Yes, I’m referring to Stanislaw Burzynski, the oncologist who has never done a residency in internal medicine or a fellowship in oncology…”
——————————————————————
But then “GorskGeek” conveniently “forgets” to point out Saul Green’slack of qualifications:
(“Green is not a medical doctor, he’s a retired biochemist“)
1. Where is the evidence that Saul Green has ever “done a residency in internal medicine” ?
2. Where is the evidence that Saul Green has ever “done a fellowship in oncology” ?
3. GorskGeek, are you now, or have you ever been, a communist?
4. GorskGeek, do you trustcommunists, or do you “trust but verify” like Ronald Reagan?
5. GorskGeek, are you a hypocrite ?
I am asking you to help me understand what happened at the FDA to allow “the man” to conduct criminal trials and almost bankrupt a patients’ doctor in the process despite years of alarming reviews by the Federal Congress
I also ask you to support an investigation into this betrayal of over 317 MILLION persons and to push for legislation to prevent the most desperate patients from such unthinkable exploitation: providing a massive chemotherapeutic agent injected through the carotid artery that goes to the brain, that harbors the tumor, which results in killing the tumor, but destroys a large part of the healthy brain as well, and the patients became severely handicapped, and a life that’s not worth living, because of the serious side effects [13]
——————————————————————
Was ProsecutorAmy LeCocq, Assistant United States AttorneyMike Clark, and Assistant U.S.AttorneyGeorge Tallichet, attempting to:
1. Lose this criminal case for the United States Gubment?
or
2. Win this case for the United States Gubment?
—————————————————————— Lawyering for Dummies
——————————————————————
1. Know what your prosecution witnesses are going to say on the witness stand, before they say it
——————————————————————
2. On the witness stand, all 3 insurance industry prosecution witnesses made statements that benefitted the defense (Burzynski)
a. 1/9/1997 – final witness of the day Ms. Peggy Oakes, employee of CNA Insurance company
b. insurance company employee
c. 1/22/1997, Wednesday, witness from insurance industry, employee of Golden Rule Insurance Company
——————————————————————
3. Why did Lead prosecuting attorneyAmy LeCocq, assistant United States attorneyGeorge Tallichet, and Assistant U.S. AttorneyMike Clark, offer the “informed consent” forms into evidence, and allow Clark to tell the jury, the government’s most “damning” charge:
a. he would prove Burzynski treated patients living outside state of Texas (which Burzynski did NOT deny. Why should he ?)
b. Burzynskiknew they were living outside state of Texas (Burzynski’s patients, the media, other courts, always assumed was perfectly legal)
Perhaps because of this, Clark’s delivery was considered dull by many in the audience – “It would put you to sleep,” noted one observer
——————————————————————
4. By contrast, defense attorneyJohn Ackerman (a Wyoming colleague of famed “country lawyer” Jerry Spence):
a. showed jury copy of attorney’s opinion informing Burzynski it would be legal for him to use new experimental drugs in state of Texas
b. read from 1987Federal Circuit Court opinion which agreed Burzynski’s use of antineoplastons were in fact legal in Texas
c. Repeatedly, defense team turned tables on prosecutor: Over & over, they used introduction of Informed Consent statements to showclinichad in fact taken pains to inform patients that treatment was experimental in nature
——————————————————————
5. 1/9/1997 – government called 1st witness, US postal inspectorBarbara Ritchey:
a. Ms. Ritchey testified she’d been assigned to investigate Burzynski in 1993 (for alleged “mail fraud”) & working on case full-time since 3/1995
b. Throughout 1st 2 weeks of trial, prosecutors repeatedly put up enlarged copies of informed consent forms all patients required to sign
c. Some showed out-of-state addresses
d. point was to impress jury with fact:
1) some patients lived outside of Texas
2) Burzynski knew this
e. approach provided opening for team of defense attorneys to have documents read out loud to jury
f. forms clearly informed patientsantineoplastonswere experimental in nature & had not been approved by FDA
g. forms were explicit there could be no guaranteeantineoplastonswould reduce or stabilize their cancers
h. AttorneyRamsey astutely pointed out that one crucial element of “fraud” is deceit
i. Without deceit, there can be no fraud, he said
j. “Isn’t that Informed Consent form the absolute, honest golden truth?“
he asked
k. Shehad to admit it was, thereby undermining government’s main contention
——————————————————————
6. Ramsey had Ms. Ritchey read from 19875th Circuit decision which stated Burzynskicould continue to prescribeantineoplastonsinstate of Texas:
a. Decision stated Judge Gabrielle McDonaldretained authority to amend or modifyherorder
b. “In other words,”
boomed the Texas lawyer,
“the FDA had another remedy, didn’t it ?“
“If it felt Dr. B. was violating order by treating out-of-state patients, it could have simply sought clarification, couldn’t it have?”
“Then we wouldn’t all have to sit here for 4 or 5 or 6 weeks of this trial”
Here too, Ritcheyhad to agree
——————————————————————
7. Mr. Ramsey continued cross examination of Ms. Ritchey:
a. Sheadmitted what had previously been suspected, she & 6 other federal agents had known Burzynski would be out-of-town when they raided his clinic3/24/1995
b. In dramatic moment, sheadmittedInformed Consent formwas truthful, but took issue with the sentence,
1) “Dr. Burzynski may continue to prescribe antineoplastons in Texas”
Shecontended that legal decision’s actual language read
2) “Dr. Burzynski may continue to treat patients with antineoplastons in Texas”
“Isn’t that the same thing? “
asked Ramsey
“No,”
said Ritchey
“Sometimes, I go to the doctor & he treats me but he doesn’t prescribe”
Observers seemed non-plussed by this hair-splitting response
—————————————————————— United States postal inspectorBarbara Ritchey must have thought she was dealing with people who weren’t as smart as a fifth-grader
Shecontended the legal decision’s:
1) “Dr. Burzynski may continue to prescribe antineoplastons in Texas”
MEANT:
2) “Dr. Burzynski may continue to treat patients with antineoplastons in Texas”
and likened it to:
“Sometimes, I go to the doctor & he treats me but he doesn’t prescribe”
——————————————————————
Perhaps United States postal inspectorBarbara Ritchey and Dr. David H. (“Orac” a/k/a GorskGeek) both came from the same Wacky Tobacky Universe
United States postal inspector
does NOT mean:
United States District Court Judge
U.S. postal inspectors do NOT get to change the wording of a legal documentsigned by a U.S. Federal District Court Judge
At NO time was it indicated that postal inspectorBarbara Ritchey was an “expert witness” in the proper usage of the English Language
You do NOT have to be smarter than a 5th-grader to know this
——————————————————————
According to Chronicle:
“I think this was a government witch hunt,”
said jurorSharon Wray
“I don’t understand why they brought criminal action when they had a civil remedy”
—————————————————————— 3/3/1997 “I couldn’t find any victims,”
Coan added (Houston Chronicle)
——————————————————————
Another juror, a 40-year-old engineer named Anthony Batiste, said he favored a guilty verdict
“I couldn’t go into my kitchen & make things”
“Why should somebody else be above the law?”
——————————————————————
If you’re a 40-year-old engineer, and you “couldn’t go into” your kitchen & make things, maybe you do NOT deserve to be called an “Engineer”
I hope you thought of a career change
——————————————————————
Strong sentiments, pro & con, were expressed by jurors on both sides
Jury foreman, John Coan, favored acquittal:
Quoted in New York Times:
“The fact that we didn’t make a unanimous decision one way or another does not mean we didn’t make a decision,”
Coan said
“The decision is that he is neither guilty nor innocent doesn’t mean he doesn’t need to do work within his practice, & the FDA obviously needs to pursue things as well”
—————————————————————— Lead prosecuting attorneyAmy LeCocq, assistant United States attorneyGeorge Tallichet, and Assistant U.S. AttorneyMike Clark, collectively reminded me of “The Three Stooges”
—————————————————————— 9/8/1993 – Public Corruption Working Group Report – The Sentencing(Amy Lecocq) [29]
Well, at least it looks like Amy Lecocq got herself involved in something she might actually be knowledgeable about !
——————————————————————
Faced life in federal prison
Faced up to:
5 years in prison
$250,000 fine
on each of 34 counts of mail fraud
5 years
x
34
=
170 years
$250,000
x
34
=
$8,500,000 MILLION
——————————————————————
up to 3 years in prison
$250,000 fine
for each of 40 counts of violating the food, drug & cosmetic laws
—————————————————————— GorskGeekgesticulates [1]:
—————————————————————— “At least a third of the video consisted of the difficulties that Hannah had with her treatment, including high fevers, a trip to the emergency room, and multiple times when the antineoplaston treatment was stopped“
“She routinely developed fevers to 102° F, and in one scene her fever reached 103.9° F“”
“She felt miserable, nauseated and weak“
“I’ve seen chemotherapy patients suffer less”
—————————————————————— GorskGeekgets at least one thing correct [2]:
——————————————————————
In America(48 days): 12/11/2011 (Sunday) – 1/27/2012 (Friday) [4:52 – 35:43]
—————————————————————— Burzynski Clinic47 days – (7 weeks) 12/12/2011 (Monday) – 1/26/2012 (Thursday) [5:37 – 35:43]
—————————————————————— 47 days – Burzynski Clinic 31 days – treatment NOT mentioned 16 days – treatment mentioned
—————————————————————— 5 days – off ANP: (May have been off ANP5 to 6 days out of 45 days?) 12/25/2011, Sunday(Day 15)Burzynski Clinic
(OFF ANP) 12/27/2011, Tuesday(Day 17)back on ANP
(OFF ANP) 12/28/2011, Wednesday(Day 18)Burzynski Clinic (on ANP much smaller dose) 1/17/2012, Tuesday(Day 38)Burzynski Clinic
(OFF ANP) 1/21/2012, Saturday(Day 42)Burzynski Clinic
(OFF ANP)
—————————————————————— 6 days (temperature mentioned out of 47 days) .12/27/2011 – 102 – down / up .12/31/2011 – 102 – middle of night 1/16/2012 – 102+ – Monday night 1/17/2012 – 101.8 1/20/2012 – 103.9 – Friday night 1/21/2012 – 102.5
—————————————————————— GorskGeekgandalf’s:
—————————————————————— “She felt miserable, nauseated and weak“
——————————————————————
However, he does NOT produce one citation, reference, and / or link which would buttress his baste
—————————————————————— GorskGeek’saphorism“anecdotal”A-bomb:
—————————————————————— “I’ve seen chemotherapy patients suffer less”
——————————————————————
just blows . . . back up in his blood-brain barrier
Let’s do what Dr. (Supernaught) Dave and his Science-Baste Medicine would NOT do
Compare the radiotherapyHannah had, to the antineoplaston therapy she had
—————————————————————— 4/1/2011 – Surgery 6/2011 – Started radiotherapy 8 weeks after surgery
——————————————————————
1. Needed 6 weeks of radiotherapy
2. Full-on – 6 weeks of treatment(Monday-Friday)
3. Did that, thinking this would make me better
4. Radiotherapy went well for 1st few weeks but fears were confirmed when hair falling out and bouts of tiredness and lethargy
5. Lost hair
6. Two weeks into treatment was hit by wave of tiredness
7. So shattered had to go to bed for week
8. Started having seizures and didn’t know how long she had to live
9. Was still having seizures and lost independence with losing driving licence
10. On top of all of this, dealing with‘v as had number of seizures and now has epilepsy
11. Was gruelling – hair fell out, had quite a few seizures – then, at end, scan showed still had remnants of very aggressive tumour
——————————————————————
A. Hair falling out
B. Lost hair
C. Bouts of tiredness and lethargy
D. So shattered had to go to bed for week
E. Started having seizures
F. With number of seizures, lost independence with losing driving licence
G. Now has epilepsy
H. Was grueling
—————————————————————— Hannah’shair all fell out, she suffered bouts of tiredness and lethargy, had to go to bed for a week, started having seizures, and got epilepsy, all in the course of 6 weeks(30 days – Monday-Friday) of radiotherapy
Does GorskiGeek really expect true Science-Based Medicine researchers; unlike himself, to come to some biased conclusion, that these 30 days of radiotherapy; 20 of which come after the “first couple of weeks” umbrella, are somehow “better” than 16 days of antineoplaston therapy issues ?
—————————————————————— GorskGeeksproselytization of Science-Based Medicine is nothing but a sham
If Gorski actually, really, believed in SBM, he would practice what he preaches
To “Orac,” SBM is nothing more than a TOOL, which he attempts to wield the way Hitlerstormtrooped the SS (Schutzstaffel), Leninkerfuffled the KGB (Komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti), Stalingate-way drugged the Gulags, and Mussolini#failed with Fascism
GorskiGeek seems to want to Fiesta with Fidel, in that the asserted appearance of both, is because of the belief in the almighty buck
Yes, maybe they’re always just looking for that extra bit of added greenback bill, a blatant handout [3]
—————————————————————— GorskGeek “believes” in his Science-Basted Medicine so much, that he fails to advise readers how Hannah did aftershe and Pete Cohen returned to the “G.” to the “B.”
Did Hannah experience continued “side effects”?
That’s what I call the hash tag failure of Gorski’s Science-Based Mudicine
—————————————————————— Gabroni Gambit (also known as Gorski Gambit a/k/a GorskGeek Gambit): The failed attempt by “The Skeptics™” to try and “pull the wool”over the eyes of someone who is as smart as a fifth-grader
This tactic is one frequently utilized by communists, dictators, fascists, liars, socialists, and zealots
David H. Gorski, M.D., Ph.D., FACS “Check My Facts”Hack “Orac”, finally ends his 11/15/2013 diatribe of Dr. Burzynski by USA TODAY’sLiz Szabo, Michael Stravato, Jerry Mosemak, and Robert Hanashiro, with:
—————————————————————— “The concluding section of the story tells us why we need to try:”
“No one told Josia’s parents about any of this”
“Not Burzynski”
“Not the FDA”
“Jose and Niasia Cotto had no idea that their son’s death prompted an investigation by the FDA, until they were contacted by USA TODAY”
“The Cottos had long believed that Burzynski could have cured their son if only they had taken Josia to see him first, before giving him radiation and chemotherapy”
“They had even hoped to launch a non-profit, A Life for Josia Foundation, to help other children with cancer gain access to Burzynski’s treatment“
“Now, they don’t know what to think”
——————————————————————
So what good did Gorski do here, if any ?
1. He offers no opinion as to if he thinks Burzynski should have been responsible for advisingJose and Niasia Cotto that Josia Cotto’sdeath prompted an investigation by the FDA
2. He offers no opinion as to if he thinks the FDA should have been responsible for advisingJose and Niasia Cotto that Josia Cotto’sdeath prompted an investigation
3. He offers no opinion as to if he thinks Burzynski could have cured Jose and Niasia Cotto’s son, Josia Cotto’s if only they had been able to take Josia to Burzynski first
4. He offers no opinion as to what he thinks about the FDA requiring Josia Cotto to receive radiation and chemotherapy, and them failingJosia, before he was able to utilize antineoplaston therapy
Gorski might as well NOT even be here if all he’s going to do is repost the same thing USA TODAY published, yet “say” absolutely NOTHING
Personally, I think it’s has to do with what was said during the JulyTAM 2013 twaddle, when the female panelist made a comment about “people without BALLS”
——————————————————————
Since I have mine, here’s what I think:
1. If there was a moral or legal duty to advise Jose and Niasia Cotto that the passing of Josiaprompted an investigation by the FDA, then it was the FDA’s responsibility
2. I think that if the FDA was NOT requiring patients like Josia Cotto to 1st be failed by conventional treatments like surgery, radiation, and / or chemotherapy, there is a chance that Burzynski’santineoplaston therapy could be more effective because of:
======================================
What USA TODAY, Liz Szabo, Michael Stravato, Jerry Mosemak, and Robert HanashiroDID NOT TELL YOU ABOUT:
—————————————————————— 12/2002 Burzynski interview [3]
—————————————————————— INTRAVENOUS
—————————————————————— 1. Treatment require strong commitment from patients as must be infused with Antineoplastons for many weeks or months ?
—————————————————————— 2. Perhaps 15% of patients taking intravenous infusions of Antineoplastons
—————————————————————— 3. Patients who have most advanced type of cancer will require heavy dosages
—————————————————————— 4. When give large dosages intravenously, have to watch fluid balance…and electrolyte balance
—————————————————————— 5. Intravenous infusion can deliver equivalent of 3,000 tablets a day
—————————————————————— ORAL – CAPSULES OR TABLETS
—————————————————————— 1. Most patients taking oral formulations
—————————————————————— 2. Capsules or tablets
—————————————————————— 3. Limitation of how much medicine can take by mouth
—————————————————————— 4. 50 or 60 tablets a day pretty much all you can take by mouth
—————————————————————— 5. When give orally, see practically no side effects at all
—————————————————————— 6. Patients may develop skin rash, which may last for day or two
—————————————————————— 7. Don’t see any delayed toxicity once treatment stops
—————————————————————— 8. Everything practically goes back to normal within day or two
—————————————————————— 9. Doesn’t even come close to adverse reactions that experience with chemotherapy
—————————————————————— FDA requirements
—————————————————————— 1. Most patients who come to us have received prior heavy radiation therapy, or chemotherapy
—————————————————————— 2. Usually die from complications from these treatments
—————————————————————— 3. Those who survive longest are patients who previously did not receive radiation therapy or chemotherapy
—————————————————————— 4. Longest survivor in this category is now reaching 15 years from time of diagnosis; and she’s in perfect health
—————————————————————— 12/10/1997 [4]
—————————————————————— 1. In addition to original family of Antineoplaston compounds
(the “Parental Generation”)
—————————————————————— 2. Development of 2nd generation of Antineoplastons
In cell culture experiments 2nd generation Antineoplastons developed have been shown to be at least
Thousand times more potent then Parental Generation
—————————————————————— 3. 3rd generation structurally altered Antineoplaston believe will exhibit markedly improved anticancer activity in human cancer cell lines resistant to
Parental Generation
————————————————————— 12/2000 Egypt antineoplaston study [5]
—————————————————————— 4 newpiperidinedioneA10 analogssynthesized and tested on human breast cancer cell line against prototype A10 and anti cancer drug tamoxifen and DNA binding capacity of compounds evaluated against A10
—————————————————————— “3B” and “3D” were several-fold more potent antiproliferative agents than A10 and tamoxifen and had significantly higher capacity to bind DNA than A10
————————————————————— 10/1/2001 Egypt antineoplaston study [5]
—————————————————————— Structural characterization of new antineoplaston (ANP) representatives
——————————————————————
Combination heat with pH modification had virtually no effect on obtained peaks, attesting to stability and purity of compounds
—————————————————————— One had superior affinity to DNA than
prototype ANP-A10
======================================
So, what do we know from this interview with Burzynskifrom over a decade ago, his 12/10/1997 Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing and the antineoplaston research from Egypt ?
—————————————————————— 1. Oral (capsule and tablets): PRACTICALLY NO SIDE EFFECTS at all
—————————————————————— 2. Those who survive longest are patients who previously did NOT receive radiation therapy or chemotherapy
—————————————————————— 3. 2nd generation of Antineoplastons have been shown to be at least a THOUSAND TIMES MORE POTENT then Parental Generation
—————————————————————— 4. 3rd generation structurally altered Antineoplaston believe will exhibit markedly improved anticancer activity in human cancer cell lines resistant to Parental Generation
—————————————————————— 5. The research from Egypt shows promising results for binding to DNA
——————————————————————
I doubt Dr. Gorski will be blogging about the above, anytime soon, as it
DOES NOT FIT HIS NARRATIVE
====================================== 2000 – Thomas Navarro [3]
——————————————————————
What happened to Donna and Jim Navarro when they chose Burzynski’streatment over orthodox treatments ?
—————————————————————— 4 year oldThomas Navarrodiagnosed with medulloblastoma
—————————————————————— Operated on
—————————————————————— Tumor removed
—————————————————————— Scheduled for radiation therapy
—————————————————————— Parents knew he’d be damaged by radiation therapy
——————————————————————
Nobody his age survives this type of tumor anyway after radiation therapy
——————————————————————
Why they decided to go to Burzynski Clinic
—————————————————————— Could NOT treat him because FDA requires failure of radiation therapy for such patients
—————————————————————— Parents decided NOT to take any treatment
—————————————————————— Burzynski asked FDA several times to allow administration of Antineoplastons, because already had successful treatments for some other children without any prior radiation
—————————————————————— 5/2001 – developed numerous tumors
—————————————————————— Burzynski suggested to parents they should go for at least chemotherapy
——————————————————————
Went for chemotherapy to one of best centers in the country, Beth Israel Hospital in New York
—————————————————————— Chemotherapy was successful, but he almost died from it
—————————————————————— Severly affected his bone marrow
——————————————————————
Phone call from Thomas’s father telling Burzynski doctors thinking they won’t do anything else for him and Thomas will die within a week because of severe suppression of bone marrow
—————————————————————— Burzynski encouraged father to do whatever possible because such patients may turn around
—————————————————————— He turned around
——————————————————————
About month or two later developed 15 tumors in brain and spinal cord
——————————————————————
When close to death, nothing available, FDA called and allowed Burzynski to treat Thomas
—————————————————————— Treated Thomas
—————————————————————— Survived 6 months
—————————————————————— Tumors had substantially decreased
—————————————————————— 11/2001 – ultimately died from pneumonia
——————————————————————
Perhaps professor and chairman of oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, Jan Buckner, professor and head of the division of bioethics at NYU Langone Medical Center, Arthur Caplan, chair of the Children’s Oncology Group, an NCI-supported research network that conducts clinical trials in pediatric cancer, pediatric oncologist and professor of pediatrics and pharmacology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Peter Adamson, David H. Gorski, M.D., Ph.D., FACS, a/k/a GorskGeek, and “Orac”, ALL think that the 15 tumors Thomas Navarro had in his brain and spinal cord, which had substantially decreased under Burzynski’s antineoplaston therapy, were because of Pseudoprogression a/k/a Pseudo-Progression (psPD) and / or pseudoresponse, caused by chemotherapy ?
Is this what they mean by:
“In reality, the tumor was just returning to its previous size” ?
====================================== Dustin Kunnari [3]
——————————————————————
At 2 ½ years old, Dustin Kunnari had brain surgery
—————————————————————— Surgery removed only 75% of tumor
——————————————————————
Dustin’s parents, Mariann and Jack, were told Dustinwould only live 6 months
——————————————————————
Chemotherapy and radiation may extend life slightly, but at very high cost in quality of life with very serious side effects
——————————————————————
Mariann and Jack decided to look into alternatives
——————————————————————
Found out about Antineoplastons
——————————————————————
After only 6 weeks of intravenous treatment, MRI showed he was cancer free
—————————————————————— One year later another tumor appeared on MRI
——————————————————————
By this time Dr. Burzynski had developed more concentrated form of Antineoplastons
—————————————————————— After 5 months tumor was gone
——————————————————————
remained cancer free ever since
—————————————————————— Age 7 – taken off Antineoplastons
——————————————————————
To further complicate matters, oncologist kept threatening parents with a court proceeding to take Dustin away and force him to take Chemotherapy/Radiation treatment
——————————————————————
This continued for a year, even after success with Antineoplastons
—————————————————————— Age 12 at time of 12/2002 interview
——————————————————————
Perhaps professor and chairman of oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, Jan Buckner, professor and head of the division of bioethics at NYU Langone Medical Center, Arthur Caplan, chair of the Children’s Oncology Group, an NCI-supported research network that conducts clinical trials in pediatric cancer, pediatric oncologist and professor of pediatrics and pharmacology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Peter Adamson, David H. Gorski, M.D., Ph.D., FACS, a/k/a GorskGeek, and “Orac”, ALL think that the tumor David Kunnari had, which disappeared under Burzynski’s antineoplaston therapy, were because of Pseudoprogression a/k/a Pseudo-Progression (psPD) and / or pseudoresponse, caused by surgery ?
Is this what they mean by:
“In reality, the tumor was just returning to its previous size” ?
====================================== Paul Leverett [3]
—————————————————————— 5/1999 – diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme grade 4 brain stem tumor
—————————————————————— Prognosis was would probably be dead before end of 1999
——————————————————————
Orthodox medicine gave him no hope of survival
—————————————————————— Given maximum amount of radiation was capable of receiving
——————————————————————
Slowed tumors growth slightly, but didn’t alter prospects for survival at all
——————————————————————
After research on Internet learned about Dr. Burzynski’sAntineoplastons
—————————————————————— 9/1999 – began taking Antineoplastons intravenously, administered by wife Jennie
——————————————————————
After 6 weeks tumor had grown by only 2 %, Glioblastoma’s normally double in size every 2 weeks
—————————————————————— 12/2000 – PET scan confirmed complete remission
——————————————————————
Stayed on Antineoplastonsuntil 8/2001 to ensure tumor wouldn’t reoccur
——————————————————————
Just under 20% tumor necrosis remaining in brain stem, which is probably scar tissue
——————————————————————
Oncologist (at MD Anderson, Houston) initially wanted to show scan’s to his hospitals (MD Anderson) tumor review board
——————————————————————
for whaever reason, refused further contact and didn’t go ahead with it
——————————————————————
Perhaps professor and chairman of oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, Jan Buckner, professor and head of the division of bioethics at NYU Langone Medical Center, Arthur Caplan, chair of the Children’s Oncology Group, an NCI-supported research network that conducts clinical trials in pediatric cancer, pediatric oncologist and professor of pediatrics and pharmacology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Peter Adamson, David H. Gorski, M.D., Ph.D., FACS, a/k/a GorskGeek, and “Orac”, ALL think that the glioblastoma multiforme grade 4 brain stem tumor Paul Leverett had, which disappeared under Burzynski’s antineoplaston therapy, were because of Pseudoprogression a/k/a Pseudo-Progression (psPD) and / or pseudoresponse, caused by radiation ?
Is this what they mean by:
“In reality, the tumor was just returning to its previous size” ?
====================================== Crystin Schiff [3]
—————————————————————–
Ric and Paula Schiff about torture their daughter Crystin had to endure during chemotherapy/radiation treatment
—————————————————————– Diagnosed with perhaps most malignant tumor known, rhabdoid tumor of the brain
—————————————————————–
Historically, there was no case of such a tumor ever having long response to chemotherapy or radiation therapy
—————————————————————–
Received extremely heavy doses of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, because nobody expected she would live longer than year or so
—————————————————————–
Was terribly damaged with this
—————————————————————–
Responded very well to Antineoplastons
—————————————————————– Complete response
—————————————————————— Died from pneumonia
—————————————————————— Immune system was wiped out, so when she aspirated some food, she died from it
—————————————————————– Autopsy revealed didn’t have any sign of malignancy
—————————————————————–
Particularly despicable story, because when Ric Schiff asked Dr. Michael Prados, then head of neuro-oncology at University of California at San Francisco Medical Center (UCSF), if he knew of any other treatment besides chemotherapy/radiation for Crystin’s brain tumor, Prados replied in the negative
But a few years before, he had sent you 14 letters documenting effectiveness of Antineoplastons on Jeff Keller, another patient with brain cancer
Is this true?
Yes, Jeff Keller had extremely malignant brain tumor
had high-grade glioma of the brain; failed radiation therapy and additional treatments
responded extremely well to our treatment
was one of patients whose case was presented to NCI
there was no doubt about his response
Dr. Prados knew about it
If he was dealing with hopeless tumor like Crystin Schiff, why didn’t he call us?
Do you know why Prados did not tell them about Keller’ssuccess with your treatment?
It’s hard for me to tell
It happens that Dr. Prados and Dr. Friedman, who became boss of FDA, came from same medical school
they work closely together, and perhaps there is something to do with general action against us
It would be inconvenient for Dr. Prados to say that treatment works if FDA was trying to get rid of us and when his friend was Commissioner of FDA at that time
Perhaps that’s the connection….
—————————————————————–
Perhaps professor and chairman of oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, Jan Buckner, professor and head of the division of bioethics at NYU Langone Medical Center, Arthur Caplan, chair of the Children’s Oncology Group, an NCI-supported research network that conducts clinical trials in pediatric cancer, pediatric oncologist and professor of pediatrics and pharmacology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Peter Adamson, David H. Gorski, M.D., Ph.D., FACS, a/k/a GorskGeek, and “Orac”, ALL think that the rhabdoid tumor of the brain Crystin Schiff had, which disappeared under Burzynski’s antineoplaston therapy, were because of Pseudoprogression a/k/a Pseudo-Progression (psPD) and / or pseudoresponse, caused by chemo and radiation ?
I’ve made no secret of how much I dispute David H. Gorski, a la “Orac”, the “self-proclaimed”brain cancer doctor and brain cancer researcher who has been treating readers with an unproven, unapproved, NOT ordinarychemotherapeutic agent since Jesus just left Chicago, bound for Nawlins, seemingly Elaphe longissimaslithering around, under, over, and past all attempts to intestate him and shut him up
Along the way, GorskGeek has become a hero to the cancer hackery industry, touted as the man who can cure incurable insomnia that science-based medicine can’t, even though his treatment, insolence, allegedly pop tarts isolated from bloopers and Uranus that normally keep insomnia in check in healthy people, are by any reasonable definition NOT ordinary chemotherapy
Indeed, they are toxic, with a number of side effects reported, the most common and dangerous of which being life-threatening hyperactivity (elevated sugar levels in the blood)
All you have to do is to type GorsGeek’s name into the search box of this blog, and you’ll find copious documentation of the abuses of patience, science, and critical trials perpetrated by “Orac” and the cult of impersonality that has evolved around him
He’s even acquired his very own film perpougendist, a credulous fellow named Bob Blaskiewicz, who has made 2 astoundingly bad hackumentaries that are nothing more than unabashed hagiographies of the brave maverick doctor curing insolence where no one else can
They’re chock full of misinformation, pseudononsense, spin, and obvious emotional manipulation, and the 2nd one, at least, was very popular
For the longest time, I’ve been hoping that major mainstream news organizations would take this story on
—————————————————————— GorskGeekclaims:
“Now, thanks to Liz Szabo at USA Today, we know from her article Doctor accused of selling false hope to families [1]:
“Yet hypernatremia is one of antineoplastons’ most common side effects, known to doctors for two decades”
—————————————————————— GorskGeek, of course, does NOT care to mention the 2 hypernatremia studies that I listed in the 2nd of my 3 critiques on USA TODAY’s“hatchet job” of Burzynski[2], because, as he accuses others:
THEY DO NOT FIT HIS NARRATIVE
—————————————————————— GorskGeek continues:
—————————————————————— “showed a blood sodium level of 205 millimoles per liter, a level that is typically fatal“
“I was astounded to see that number“
“I’ve never, ever seen a sodium level that high“
“Typically, normal is typically between 135 and 145 mEq/L, with slight variations of that range depending on the lab”
“Burzynski’s excuse, which I’ve heard at various times as being due to an “improper blood draw” or as described above, is purest nonsense”
“Unless the technician spiked Josia’s sample with 3% saline or something like that, there’s no way to get the leve that high”
“Josia almost certainly died because of hypernatremia from antineoplaston therapy“
“To me, this is the biggest revelation of the story:”
“The story and identity of the child who was killed by Burzynski’s treatments“
——————————————————————
I did NOT know that GorskGeek was the Medical Examiner for the United States Food and Drug Administration
—————————————————————— GorskGeek is mistaken, as the “purest nonsense” is his nonsensical claim:
“I’ve never, ever seen a sodium level that high“
The reasonGorskGeek has:
“never, ever seen a sodium level that high”
is because he’s a “hack”, who’s more interested in churning out as many blogsplats as he can, rather than doing real“science-based medicine”research
As evidence of MY claim, I submit:
—————————————————————— 9/2004 – A Non-Fatal Case of Sodium Toxicity (Hypernatremia)
—————————————————————— “6 year old boy who was taken to the hospital following a seizure attack, and lab analyses revealed a serum sodium (Na+) levels of 234 mEq/L”
“A search of the boy’s house led to the discovery of rock salt in the cabinet and a container of table salt”
“Extrapolating from the serum sodium (Na+) level, it was estimated that the child had ingested approximately 4 tablespoons of rock salt, leading to the acute toxicity“
“A literature search revealed that the serum sodium (Na+) concentration in the present report was the highest documented level of sodium in a living person“
Non-Fatal 193-209 mEq/L have been reported previously [3]
——————————————————————
We also learn that—surprise! surprise!—GorskGeek is an enormous tool
(as opposed to having “an enormous tool” His cranium is too small to have “enormous tool”)
—————————————————————— GorskGeek then hacks:
—————————————————————— “Look at him dismiss his critics, particularly former patients, many of whom, let’s recall, have terminal cancer, many of whom are dead:”
“Burzynski dismisses criticism of his work, referring to his detractors as “hooligans” and “hired assassins.””
—————————————————————— GorskGeek, you are a “hooligan”, liar, lame, loser, et al.
—————————————————————— GorskGeek proceeds:
—————————————————————— “You know, whenever I hear Burzynski fans like Eric Merola accuse skeptics of attacking cancer patients, of accusing them of horrible things”
“I think I will throw this quote right back in their faces”
“Here’s Burzynski calling his patients prostitutes, thieves, and mafia bosses, and “not the greatest people in the world,” while accusing them of wanting to “extort money from us.””
—————————————————————— GorskGeek, LAME attempt at another LIE
Burzynski did NOT CALL his patients what YOU claim he called them
Let me repeat it for YOU, because I have the sneaking suspicion that YOU are “intellectually challenged”
BurzynskiSAID:
“We see patients from various walks of life”
“We see great people”
“We see crooks”
“We have prostitutes”
“We have thieves”
“We have mafia bosses”
“We have Secret Service agents”
“Many people are coming to us, OK?”
“Not all of them are the greatest people in the world”
—————————————————————— GorskGeek, just in case you did NOT learn this at the University of Michigan, there is a difference between SAYING“WE SEE” and / or “WE HAVE”, and CALLING someone something
Allow me to provide you with a great example
If I SAY that YOU are the BIGGEST POMPOUS ASS I’ve ever seen, and YOU are NOT a BIG POMPOUS ASS, then THAT is derogatory
However, if I CALL YOU the BIGGEST POMPOUS ASS that I have ever seen, because you really and truly are a BIG POMPOUS ASS; as you are, then THAT is NOT derogatory
—————————————————————— GorskGeek tries again:
—————————————————————— “Not surprisingly, he also liberally uses the Galileo gambit, but that’s not surprising, as he’s repeatedly made the hilariously arrogant and scientifically ignorant claim that he is a pioneer in genomic and personalized cancer therapy and that M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and other world-class cancer centers are “following his lead.””
“Indeed, he claimed to have invented the field 20 years ago”
“Sadly, his publication record does not support such grandiose claims“
—————————————————————— GorskGeek, how would you know ?
You proved that you weren’t smarter than a 5th grader when you could NOT find Burzynski’s1997 Antineoplastons, oncogenes and cancer [4]
—————————————————————— “Curious as to just what the heck Burzynski was talking about here, I searched PubMed for this alleged review article”
“I couldn’t find it on PubMed“
“Perhaps Burzynski proposed this “revolutionary” new idea in a peer-reviewed article that’s not indexed in PubMed, but if he did I couldn’t find it using Google and Google Scholar“[5]
So why should ANYONE believe that you were able to locate the rest of his publications
and review all of them?
Now THAT would be a “grandiose claim”
—————————————————————— GorskGeek was also the village “idiot savant” (minus the “savant”) who face planted:
“how Burzynski never explains which genes are targeted by antineoplastons … “[6]
GorskGeek must have fumed for days when he found I “fact-checked” his fluff and found it false: [7-8]
—————————————————————— GorskGeekhopes to wreak havoc when he harrumphs:
—————————————————————— “For instance, experts are saying the same things I’ve been saying for a couple of years now about Burzynski’s anecdotes of “miracle cures,” such as Hannah Bradley and Laura Hymas”
“The reasons for these anecdotes include:”
“Burzynski often relies on anecdotes, which don’t tell the full story”
“Burzynski’s therapies are unproven“
“Burzynski’s patients may have been misdiagnosed“
“Burzynski’s patients may have been cured by previous therapy“
“There’s a reason why I’ve spent so much time deconstructing Burzynski anecdotes, and it’s for all of those reasons plus that anecdotes are often interpreted incorrectly by patients without medical training”
“Even doctors who are not oncologists sometimes interpret such anecdotes incorrectly to indicate that the cancer therapy chosen is the therapy that cured the patient“
“It’s not just Burzynski patient anecdotes, but it’s any cancer cure anecdote“
“That’s why clinical trials are necessary to differentiate all these confounding effects from actual effects due to the treatment”
—————————————————————— GorskiGeek displays what an abject #FAIL he is, as the question he should be asking is:
Why is the Food and Drug Administration FORCING patients to #FAIL conventional treatments; such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, before being allowed to utilize antineoplaston therapy ?
If the FDA was NOT doing this, then GorskGeek and the “so-called experts” would NOT have this crutch to fall back on
GorskGeek, please list all the other phase II clinical trials where the F.D.A. has done this, and please also explain what would you do if the FDA did this to YOUR clinical trials ?
I know this might require some “Grapefruits” on your part, but do try and see if you can find yours in order to pull this off, if you’re NOT the coward I think you are
And when you’re done with that, please try to explain away the case of Jessica Ressel-Doeden
GorskGeekwinds up for the pitch of bullshit
He ratchets back his right arm and rockets it right into his rectum, reaches ’round and pulls out this righteousness:
—————————————————————— “Not coincidentally, Hannah Bradley had surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, and Laura Hymas had radiation and chemotherapy”
GorskGeek, Hannah Bradley NEVER had chemotherapy, unless you are now going to claim that by “chemotherapy” you meant antineoplastons [9]
Hannah specifically mentioned:
“Chemotherapy also mentioned but not strong enough for that” [10]
—————————————————————— GorskGeek:
“Even doctors who are not oncologists sometimes interpret such anecdotes incorrectly” ?
I think you meant, even breast cancer oncologist specialists who are NOT brain cancer oncology specialists interpret incorrectly, you JackASS
====================================== [4] – 1997 – Burzynski. S.R. Antineoplastons. oncogenes and cancer. Anti-Aging Medical Therapeutics, Vol.1. Klatz RM.
Goldman R. (Ed). Health Quest Publication 1997; Marina del Rey, CA. USA
Pg. 24
——————————————————————
When I mentioned Ben and Laura Hymas to Bob Blaskiewicz during the Saturday Google+ Hangout, and suggested that I should compare it to the patient stories he “embellishes”, he suggested I review his patient stories instead
So what am I doing ?
I’m reviewing the patient story of Laura Hymas
However, my goal is to provide a perspective of her mood, health, treatment, and support network, so that readers can get an idea of what someone with cancer; who does not yet know that they have cancer, may be experiencing, so if they note similar experiences or symptoms in themselves or others, they will know that they most likely should seek professional medical assistance, and also be able to use it to compare to other “patient stories”
Laura Hymas: Kent, United Kingdom
Ben: fiancée
Jacob: son
—————————————————————— (I will be doing a little data clean-up)
Note how I do NOT “embellish” Laura’s story by adding extemporaneous commentary like Bob Blaskiewicz
—————————————————————— 2005 – Laura met Ben: knew instantly wanted to start family with him []
When first met Laura 3 years ago beautiful, bright and energetic girl [2]
loyal, kind hearted and has a smile so infectious that it can light up any room [2]
——————————————————————
started planning to marry and grow family [2]
======================================
====================================== MOOD
======================================
====================================== 1/2009 – Laura pregnant[]
a) delighted to be having a baby but pregnancy wasn’t easy []
b) suffered terrible morning sickness so severe had to be admitted to hospital []
—————————————————————— 4/2009 – morning sickness stopped at 16 weeks, from then on felt exhausted []
—————————————————————— 9/2009 – Jacob born[] [2] []
9/2009 – []
a) felt like happiest woman in the world
b) began planning to marry and grow family
c) adored being a mum []
d) knew wasn’t depression because felt so happy being a mum []
—————————————————————— 9/2009 – 12/2010 – []
a) felt never fully recovered after the birth and over 15 month period
b) certain wasn’t depressed
c) was so happy but exhausted all the time
d) convinced there was something wrong and so frustrating not knowing what
e) so tired even good nights sleep couldn’t get up in the morning to take care of Jacob when Ben went to work; stay in pajamas all day
f) at wits end
g) causing a lot of stress at home
—————————————————————— 5/27/2010 – []
a) felt like luckiest woman alive []
b)son Jacob just celebrated 1st birthday and she and fiance Ben were busy planning wedding[]
—————————————————————— 10/2010 – frustrating as kept wondering if was imagining it [[
—————————————————————— 12/24/2010 – []
a) no one expected anything serious so I just popped along with Jacob []
b) totally unprepared for what doctor said []
c) When doctors dropped their bombshell, just broke down []
d) happiness was shattered
e) thought of Jacob not having me here is heartbreaking []
f) will do anything to see him grow up and determined to beat this []
g) can’t accept going to die []
h) was in pieces []
i) immediately rang mum, Vanessa, who hurried to hospital to comfort her []
j) strange relief to know hadn’t imagined all symptoms, never expected something so terrible []
k) reassured when read stories saying people did live normal lives with this sort of tumour []
l) huge relief []
—————————————————————— 12/2010
a) felt couldn’t accept there were no other options []
b) felt confident []
c) so angry but had no choice []
—————————————————————— 2/2011 – []
a) Being unable to care for son made feel so depressed
b) felt like life was slipping away
c) No words can describe how much this news and period of time affected us as a family
—————————————————————— 4/2011 – []
a) had devastating effect on her as young mum, and affected every part of lives because at moment cannot enjoy time and plan future like any other normal young family []
b) everyone was in for further shock []
c) left reeling when doctors said tumour had grown rapidly []
d) couldn’t believe it []
—————————————————————— 5/27/2011 – confident will get there and beat this [9]
—————————————————————— 6/2011
a) felt very confident, almost empowered []
b) Given situation felt had nothing to lose []
c) astounded by generosity and kindness of general public []
—————————————————————— LAURAS TUMOUR [1]
—————————————————————— news hit very hard and also devastated her family and friends [1]
Until something like this happens, you dont realise how much of an effect it has [1]
fun loving girl who’s taken to motherhood like a duck to water, son is so lucky to have her because she always puts him first [1]
illness crept up slowly and was affecting long before diagnosis because it was eating away at health and energy which was so frustrating for when wanted to be energetic mum doing loads of things with Jacob [1]
awful diagnosis had positive and negative effect, fact now knows what was wrong is huge relief because knew deep down something was wrong, but its awful news at same time [1]
—————————————————————— 6/27/2011 – Anyone who has been or is going through a life threatening illness will understand power of positivity and support network of friends and family [15]
—————————————————————— faces race against time to travel to US for treatment she hopes will save her life []
—————————————————————— 7/8/2011 – [18]
helped stay positive and strong as a family even in difficult times [18]
worried how long it would take before could start treatment [18]
has been so strong and positive throughout journey, im so proud of her for being such an amazing fiancee and an amazing mum to Jacob – not a day goes by where she doesnt make us smile and keep our home life normal for Jacob at this important time in our little mans life…a really special person [18]
—————————————————————— 7/28/2011 – had agonising wait for results on Thursday
—————————————————————— 8/3/2011 – [21]
MIXTURE OF FEELINGS THIS MORNING [21]
never happy with just sitting around [21]
spent months researching all kinds of brain tumour treatment protocols looking for most successful, non harmful type of treatment currently available in the world and even speaking to past patients about their experiences, led us to front door of controversial Dr. Burzynski’s clinic in Houston this morning…somewhere that gives us all a bit of Hope [21]
Driving to clinic we were nervous about how today would be but as soon as we walked through the door we were met with friendly faces and felt instantly at ease [21]
left clinic feeling relaxed, like were in right place and the day had gone great, been prescribed treatment she wanted and with any luck will be having 1st dose this Friday [21]
—————————————————————— 8/8/2011 – [3]
a) tiredness
b) like having another baby!
c) it’s really worth it [3]
—————————————————————— 8/8/2011 – future was still very uncertain [55]
at times a whirlwind, extremely stressful [55]
—————————————————————— 10/2011 – [10]
a) times when feel like giving up [10]
b) only have to look at Ben and Jacob to know life’s worth fighting for [10]
c) determined to give treatment my best shot [10]
—————————————————————— 1/10/2012
bit of a difficult week this week, hadn’t been sleeping well due to MRI scan booked [40]
After such good result last time where tumour shrank so much were feeling so positive for few weeks after, as next scan gets closer start to worry about silly things, every time has bad day where feels exhausted, worry tumour suddenly started to grow again [40]
next day have really good day…. might have epileptic seizure, though has a LOT less of them now and aren’t as strong still worry means tumour growth [40]
get to few days before next scan even sillier things start to cross mind like “I’ve eaten lots of chocolate and had a few KFC’s since last scan was my diet really bad and hasthat made it grow!?!” [40]
all sorts of worries will go through mind at this point, like anyone else in this situation will understand [40]
trying to describe just other day what its like being told has malignant brain cancer [40]
(still hate those words) [40]
its impossible to describe but so awful makes you feel like you’re character in film “Saw” [40]
Like someone has put time bomb inside your head, it will grow fast and more it grows you will slowly become more disabled, doctors tell us that current available medicines can only slow it down..there are never any survivors 12-14 months (1 year – 1 year 2 months) from diagnosis is prognosis [40]
Eventually it will win, and you will lose the fight [40]
Sometimes in morning wake up and for few seconds forget have one, everything is normal, then reality hits again [40]
so anxious at this point, think they could tell [40]
WOW [40]
burst into tears [40]
so shocked, amazing start to 2012 [40]
—————————————————————— 1/13/2012
Every time has bad day where feels exhausted, worry tumour suddenly started to grow again [43]
fret before a scan [43] eat bad food [43] made stay up late some nights watching TV instead of resting [43]
all sorts of worries will go through mind at this point [43]
diagnosed with tumour just over year ago, describes what it’s like living with malignant brain tumour [43]
it’s so awful it makes you feel like a character in the film ‘Saw’ [43]
like someone has put time bomb inside head, it will grow fast and more it grows you will slowly become more disabled [43]
Eventually it will win and you will lose the fight [43]
feel fortunate given chance to at least try treatment [43]
About improvement, burst into tears [43]
so shocked, what an amazing start to 2012 [43]
—————————————————————— 2/8/2012 – [47]
big milestone of a day [47]
just wanted to wear something to cover the site where tumour is, area has biopsy scar and hair is much thinner from radiation [47]
—————————————————————— 2/21/2012 – had 6 weekly MRI scan tuesday – scary time as always [48]
—————————————————————— 3/25/2012 – taking small steps but feeling more like old self all the time [49]
—————————————————————— 4/5/2012 – “scan week” always stressful time [50]
—————————————————————— 5/19/2012 – diagnosed 17 months ago now and even on hardest days never given up hope [52]
—————————————————————— 6/22/2012 – [53]
Everything takes toll eventually [53]
feel fine now and have caught up on sleep, for 6 days while off treatment awaiting blood culture results was almost as if nothing was wrong, in perfect health so breath of fresh air to have no IV bag to carry around [53]
fleeting moment of “normality” for our family again [53]
—————————————————————— 7/4/2012 – [54]
been emotional rollercoaster, when look back over past year and a half [54]
has certainly been a life changing experience for us and all of our family [54]
extreme stress of situation is starting to wear off and starting to feel able to relax a little now and do “normal” things most families probably take for granted like planning ahead into future rather than living day to day [54]
don’t think its possible to describe personal experience like this, much like amazing feeling of becoming a parent you have to experience it first hand to really know what its like [54]
—————————————————————— 8/8/2012 – When look back feel like looking at someone else’s life [55]
—————————————————————— 8/29/2012 – [55]
its been well worth all the hard work and effort [55]
Mentally stayed so strong despite over past 12 months (1 year) having not slept full night due to infusions – calculated has had at least 2150 ninety minute infusions to date [55]
These days, life is much more hopeful and slightly less stressful [55]
—————————————————————— 11/27/2012 – [56]
fight this every day for almost 2 years without ever once faltering or giving up [56]
Jacob has been here to give a reason to be strong and his unconditional love has been a huge part of healing process [56]
couldn’t be happier [56]
—————————————————————— 1/2013 – Dr Burzynski has given me and my family the future back and I am eternally grateful [3]
appreciate every minute of every day [3]
I’ll finish treatment but have my life back [3]
Who knows what tomorrow holds ? [3]
======================================
====================================== HEALTH
======================================
======================================
6/2011 – [47]
whilst having radiotherapy lost all hair which fell out very quickly – in a matter of hours – too quickly to really have any time to get used to the idea [47]
(if thats possible) [47]
for woman it can be a really big part of their identity, especially if you’re just 25 years old [47]
——————————————————————
1/12/2012 – [40]
When has scan every 6 weeks to find out how treatment is going go through different emotional stages [40]
After such good result last time where tumour shrank so much were feeling so positive for few weeks after, as next scan gets closer start to worry about silly things, every time has bad day where feels exhausted [40]
next day have really good day…. might have epileptic seizure, though has a LOT less of them now and aren’t as strong still worry means tumour growth [40]
eat bad food, stay up late some nights watching TV instead of resting, dragged round country parks for walks [40]
(probably in hind sight exercise is very good right now) [40]
——————————————————————
1/13/2012
has good days and bad days [43]
Every time has bad day where feels exhausted, worry tumour suddenly started to grow again [43]
next day have really good day … then might have epileptic seizure, even though has a LOT less of them now [43]
4/5/2012 – feeling really good apart from sinus infection unrelated to tumour or medication [50]
—————————————————————— 6/15/2012 – suspected Hickman Line infection, really exhausted and had cold shivers [53]
——————————————————————
======================================
====================================== TREATMENT
======================================
====================================== 1/2009 – suffered terrible morning sickness so severe had to be admitted to hospital [10]
—————————————————————— 5/2009 – morning sickness stopped at 16 weeks [10]
—————————————————————— 9/2009 – Jacob born [2] + [10]
visited GP dozens of times [10]
At 1st doctor thought was baby blues but months after Jacob born, still felt tired, diagnosed postnatal depression [10]
came home with anti-depressants [10]
knew wasn’t depression because felt so happy being a mum [10]
didn’t even take the pills [10]
—————————————————————— 5/27/2010 – [10]
—————————————————————— 10/2010 – while family, from Rochester, Kent, were in Lanzarote, developed weakness in right arm [10]
At first thought might have slept awkwardly or pulled a muscle [10]
Some days it was there, some days it wasn’t [10]
Other times felt tingling in fingers [10]
—————————————————————— 11/2010 – [2]
started to lose feeling and co-ordination in right arm which prompted an MRI scan at hospital [2]
health slowly declined over past year, never fully recovered after having Jacob and mis-diagnosed with range of things including exhaustion [2]
breakthrough diagnosis came after another visit to GP’s [10]
had a cold couldn’t shake off and went to see if needed antibiotics [10]
saw different doctor and he could see from notes sometimes been at surgery every week [10]
kept list of symptoms on iPhone [10]
handed it to him and he looked concerned [10]
been visiting surgery with different symptom every time [10]
When he saw them together, warning bells rang [10]
Although he didn’t say he suspected a brain tumour, he sent for tests [10]
—————————————————————— 12/24/2010 – results arrived [2] + [10]
few days later called back for results [10]
had brain scan but also had blood tests and thought was going to get those results [10]
had found something on scan [10]
huge tumour [10]
doctors broke news has rare, inoperable brain tumour [10]
told there’s no cure and it’s growing [10]
bad news was tumour, known as an oligodendroglioma, was inoperable – deep in the brain and removing it would be too dangerous, so all doctors could do was monitor it [10]
diagnosed with rare Brain Cancer and biopsy revealed is most aggressive type of brain cancer, not only is it inoperable because of size and location but also deemed incurable using available cancer therapies in UK, which can only at best slow down growth [2]
Tests showed was low-grade, slow-growing tumour [10]
explained could have had it for 20 years [10]
reassured when read stories saying people did live normal lives with this sort of tumour [10]
average life expectancy poor, fewer than 1 in 100 people diagnosed live for 5 years, this cancer is common in people over 50 [2]
(approx 5,000 diagnosed annualy in UK) [2]
very rare in Laura’s age group, less than 50 cases reported every year in UK and no known cause [2]
told by doctors in UK that brain tumour was inoperable [43]
set out to find an alternative cure [43]
find clinic in Houston, Texas, run by Dr. Burzynski, that pioneers new treatment for malignant brain cancer Laura has [43]
clinic in America has pioneering treatment proven very effective against this type of cancer without harming the body [2]
clinic has been running for over 30 years and has been able to not only stabilise, but potentially cure this awful disease in some cases [2]
treatment not available via NHS [2]
most patients require anything from 2 to 4 years treatment [2]
diagnosed with type of brain cancer for which there is no cure in Britain and wasn’t expected to live more than 12 months (1 year) [37]
Since diagnosed has developed epilepsy and has multiple seizures a day [37]
right arm almost paralysed so has been unable to pick up Jacob or bathe him [37]
—————————————————————— 2/2011 – right arm virtually paralysed [10]
also developed epilepsy and having seizures every day [10]
—————————————————————— 4/2011
biopsy [50]
tumor turned agressive [53]
next batch of test results arrived [10]
results of scan and biopsy [10]
doctors said tumour had grown rapidly [10]
turned into worst form of brain cancer – fast-growing, high-grade glioblastoma multiforme [10]
while they could give chemo and radiotherapy to try to shrink it and prolong life, was nothing more they could do [10]
didn’t have time to lose [10]
No one knows how long has left to live – do know has most aggressive form of brain cancer [10]
If did nothing could be 6 months to a year [10]
after painstaking research found clinic in Houston, US, which offers treatment still under trial and NHS will not fund [10]
In States, critics believe it’s expensive, with no proven results [10]
read stories claiming it worked for some [10]
sent the clinic notes [10]
treatment based on clinic’s 25 years of research showing people with the cancer are lacking tumour suppressor [10]
In people without cancer substance kills growing cancers [10]
clinic doctor believes replacing it with drug will trigger body’s immune system to rid itself of tumour [10]
having therapy to help shrink tumour [10]
—————————————————————— 5/2011 – prescribed 6 weeks radiotherapy coupled with Temozolomide chemotherapy [10]
potential life saving treatment in America [2]
travel to US for treatment hopes will save her life [10]
—————————————————————— 6/2011
1) completed radiotherapy course
2) had to stop chemo after few days because allergic reaction
3) doctors very honest – couldn’t continue TMZ cycles because was allergic to it
4) original oncologist against decision to go to America for treatment because controversial and not yet approved by NICE, or any medical body
5) transferred to another oncologist willing to take me on in London
made fully aware early on that cancer treatment and long term prognosis has improved for most common types of cancers over the years [23]
has been no real improvement in outcomes for Brain Tumours – especially Glioma which although being one of most common cancers, especially in children, are most under funded types of cancer in research arena [23]
spoke to past patients in US and UK, some who were cured many years ago from ‘terminal’ brain cancers using “antineoplastons” at Burzynski Clinic in Houston, Texas [23]
clinic treats many types of cancer with other therapies but for antineoplastons primarily focus on brain cancer because it is one of hardest to treat [23]
Prior to visit to US sent sample of Laura’s brain tumour tissue from biopsy procedure to Pheonix, Arizona [23]
At lab number of tests carried out including gene expression tests, genetic tests used to identify which treatments would be most effective for Laura as an individual – backup plan if antineoplastons had no effect [23]
“FDA approved” Phase II clinical trial – specifically “Antineoplaston A10 & AS2-1” which are treatments pioneered by Dr Burzynski in mid 1970’s [23]
—————————————————————— 7/1/2011
friday finished 6 week radiotherapy course [18]
treatment supposed to be given alongside chemotherapy but 10 days into 33 day course of chemotherapy developed allergic reaction and had to stop particular drug [18]
chemotherapy isnt very effective for everyone with Brain cancer and missing out on this drug also means Laura is so much stronger physically than she would have been otherwise, that coupled with great advice from our nutritionalist Jo Gamble has meant Laura is in amazing shape and able to travel to America safely to start treatment [18]
—————————————————————— 7/2011 – travelled to Burzynski Clinic in Houston end of July to start Antineoplaston treatment and for Ben to be trained on administering medicine by doctors at Clinic
—————————————————————— 7/2011
since starting treatment in America in July, has begun to show signs of improvement [37]
started to get use of paralysed right arm and hand back [37]
has got a lot more energy and is able to go on short walks with Jacob [37]
receive gene therapy at clinic in Texas [37]
treatment involves having daily doses of drugs and scans every 6 weeks [37]
—————————————————————— 7/2011 – 8/2011 – 3 weeks there and came home and continuing treatment
(administered by Ben with very close direction from clinic)
—————————————————————— 7/25/2011 – MRI scan Monday
—————————————————————— 7/28/2011
had agonising wait for results on Thursday
got results “Increase in size of tumour left frontal lobe” and sent straight off to clinic, took few hours to get green light (because of time difference) and by 6:30pm got call we were waiting for from clinic FDA should give special exception without aproblem – Houston here we come [21]
—————————————————————— 7/29/2011 – [21]
Ben bought Friday.morning flights “just incase” [21]
arrived in Houston, Texas Friday.afternoon after trouble free flight [21]
—————————————————————— 7/29/2011 – 8/2011 – [21]
here for next 3 weeks [21]
Thanks to amazing fund raising and generosity from everyone raised enough money to start treatment now rather than 10/2011, this gives a huge head start [21]
would originally been having another cycle of chemo until 10/2011 but allergic to it so means NHS don’t have any more options available at this stage [21]
Chemo isn’t very effective for a lot of brain tumours so isn’t big loss, much better to get onto next step earlier than planned [21]
FDA law prevents clinic treating at this point unless tumour has grown since last scan [21]
(if it had shrunk from radiotherapy would’ve had to wait until end of August) [21]
in catch 22 situation, didn’t want tumour to have grown since April but also wanted to get America ASAP, UK doctors did say not to panic because even if there was growth it could just be post radiotherapy swelling, this put our minds slightly at rest [21]
decided to take additional option on top of standard treatment has come here for, option has only been available here a few months and – huge advancement in world of cancer treatment [21]
sample of tumour tissue sent over from Kings Hospital to Lab in Phoenix, Arizona [21]
Lab running number of different tests on tissue sample and also mapping DNA profile to get “molecular fingerprint” of individual tumour [21]
Everyone’s cancer is unique to them and therefore will respond best to “unique treatment plan” [21]
Lab results will be sent to clinic next week and will tell them exactly what drugs will be effective for unique cancer, and what specific genes are involved in causing cancer [21]
Gene target therapies will also be used to “switch off” genes causing cancer and “turn on” tumour suppressor genes to help stop cancer in its tracks [21]
rather than having “one size fits all” treatment be recommended treatments based on what clinic knows will be effective for individual case [21]
—————————————————————— 8/2/2011 – 1st appointment Tuesday where will finally meet Dr Burzynski in person [21]
—————————————————————— 8/2011
appointment booked at clinic in America for start of August so will be flying out at end of month to start treatment [18]
travel to clinic and began treatment [43]
—————————————————————— 8/3/2011 – [21]
11:30AM CONSULTATION AT CLINIC [21]
journey began 8 months ago (12/24/2010) when diagnosed, found out over following weeks how generally un-successful brain tumour treatment was in UK [21]
day consisted of consultation with Dr Acelar who will be primary consultant [21]
She interviewed in more detail about condition then went off and reviewed MRI scan images with Dr Burzynski as he would have final say over treatment plan to be prescribed [21]
After agonising wait for what seemed like 10 hours but was only 10 minutes Dr Acelar came back into room with Dr Burzynski [21]
this is a guy we’ve been researching about 6 months, has been completely curing what were previously considered to be 100% fatal brain tumours, and by curing I mean for a lot of patients tumours completely disappear [21]
wasted no time explaining exactly how treatment works, basically brain cancer is being caused by up to 600 defective genes, treatment will “switch off” cancer causing genes which will make cancer cells go into “apoptosis” [21]
Apoptosis is natural cycle where cell dies and is broken down by body, in other words tumour will start to break down and dissolve away [21]
know within 4-8 weeks if working and if not then they can add in other gene targeted therapies – based on results of some genetic testing having done at the moment [21]
had bloods and physical examination done [21]
(by another doctor) [21]
and done for the day [21]
due back at clinic once they get approval from FDA to treat – which will take 1-4 days [21]
—————————————————————— 8/4/2011 – [22]
just got call from clinic and now approved for treatment by FDA much quicker than thought [22]
didn’t think there would be any problems because fits criteria, having had previous Radiotherapy which is required before you can have any private treatment from Dr Burzynski [22]
waiting on appointment from doctor who’ll be fitting Hickman Line, which is IV line fitted in chest just below collar bone [22]
Having IV line fitted is more convenient that in arm long term, and allows delivery of higher doses of medicine from IV pump that will become friend for about next 12 months (year) [22]
should be getting fitted in morning (Friday), enabling 1st test dose of Antineoplastons in afternoon [22]
—————————————————————— 8/8/2011 – Burzynski Clinic Houston Texas [55]
11.am connected and switched on pump for 1st ever Antineoplaston infusion, from that moment on would have to have 90 minute infusion every 4 hours – EVERY DAY .24/7 [55]
grade four cancer diagnosis let alone NHS treatment options, alternative medical research and decisions, fundraising, flying to america for a month [55]
—————————————————————— 8/8/2011 – 9/2011 – doctors completely honest, said won’t know IF or how quickly will respond until on treatment for at least 8 weeks
—————————————————————— 8/8/2011 – on antineoplaston therapy since
medicine rich in sodium and have to infuse 2 litres daily
(dose lasts 90 minutes every 4 hours 24/7)
drink approx 5 litres of water daily
while pump running
carrying around infusion pump all day connected to Hickman line in chest
medicine pump
MRI scan at private hospital every 6 weeks
8/2011 – came home
—————————————————————— 08/12/2011
25-year-old Laura Hymas, of High Street, Rochester, has seen tumour shrink by more than a third in just 6 weeks after pioneering therapy in America [37]
already improving since treatment in USA [37]
—————————————————————— 9/2011 – came home and continued antineoplaston treatment, treatment literally takes over and consumes every day of your life [55]
Not specifically side effects because been lucky enough to have minimal short term side effects, but impact on daily life – the infusions, preparing medicine bags, blood tests, etc.. [55]
—————————————————————— 10/2011
hopes to have new treatment in US [4]
took until middle of October to slowly increase antineoplaston dose up to “maintenance dose” Dr Burzynski deems most effective for body weight
hard to see Laura suffer [4]
know in next few weeks going to lose hair [4]
Some people say should accept condition is terminal [4]
—————————————————————— 11/29/2011 -_6 weeks later scan tumour started shrinking by 36% [59]
—————————————————————— 11/2011 – 36% (Nov 2011) [48]
decreased in size EVERY 6 weekly scan [48]
bulk of tumour reduced in size by 77% since reaching maximum tolerated dose of Antineoplastons [52]
(growth stabilised before hitting this dose) [52]
—————————————————————— 1/2012 – 56% (Jan 2012) [48]
decreased in size EVERY 6 weekly scan [48]
—————————————————————— 1/10/2012 – [40]
scan every 6 weeks to find out how treatment is going [40]
such good result last time where tumour shrank so much [40]
there’s amazing doctor in Houston, Texas [40]
friendly, happy and kind man who is always polite and making jokes [40]
sees so many patients but makes real effort to know you as a person, who you are, where you come from, what your story is..how you got to his front door [40]
doesnt promise you anything, cannot help everyone [40]
(1st to admit that) [40]
costs are completely transparent from day one, you even get breakdown of why treatment costs what it does [40]
has many many patients who had inoperable malignant brain cancers that failed chemo and radiotherapy who are not only still alive 20 years later… are now cancer free [40]
Some patients have never had any other treatment for their brain cancer apart from Antineoplaston therapy [40]
(which is what on) [40]
family who live in Kent just 5 miles from us got in touch just before Christmas as they read about us in the local paper [40]
son had been diagnosed with brain tumour [40]
They knew radiotherapy and chemo would only be palliative and having these therapies alone at young age would shorten life let alone brain tumour problem [40]
searched and searched … Eventually like us found Dr Burzynski too [40]
sons tumour decreased in size 72.5% from 1 year just on antineoplaston treatment, then put on low dose of medicine for further 3 years [40]
tumour is still there but hasn’t grown or changed since [40]
NHS oncologist can’t understand how he’a still here [40]
was 8 years old when diagnosed, in 1998 [40]
now 21 [40]
happy healthy young man and just passed university degree, looking forward to future [40]
a lot of criticism about Dr Burzynski, people saying Antineoplastons “unproven” and Dr Burzynski is scam artist taking money from dying cancer patients, that terminally ill cancer patients should be discouraged from “False Hope” he gives people [40]
any celebrities that try to help fund raise or appeal for people to donate are bombarded on twitter and internet with messages saying they are helping someone see scam artist and quack [40]
We have been focus of some of these groups, they have been trying to discourage people from donating to us “With Laura’s best interests at heart” [40]
already tried and exhausted currently available “conventional” medicine [40]
countless websites discussing Laura, other current patients with fund raising campagins and Dr Burzynski that contain false information about us all [40]
isn’t new thing to Dr Burzynski, he’s used to it by now but for us it’s distressing [40]
They try to find holes in Laura’s scan results when she reports good news, one person even told Laura on twitter to “F*** off” then he called her a “Burzynski Troll” and justified actions by saying Laura fake patient designed to encourage more people to give money to “Burzynski scam” [40]
REAL Stories about REAL people like the one above from family who live near us are ones that give us strength to carry on [40]
one day critics might decide there’s enough evidence to show treatment works? [40]
Just because they haven’t seen scientific data doesn’t mean something doesn’t work [40]
It’s worked for many [40]
having great response [40]
Tuesday when had scan at private hospital were walking past office afterwards where radiologist would be examining new scan and comparing it to last one taken 11/29/2011 [40]
stood outside to catch attention of secretary so could arrange next scan, at that point I saw through crack in door someone had brain scans on computer screen [40]
radiologist rolled back in his chair and popped his head round the door, our hearts were pumping as we were told we could have the result straight away [40]
radiologist had huge smile on his face [40]
Its looking good, definitely smaller [40]
walked in office, and had new scans from that day on screen with Laura’s scans from 11/29/2011 below [40]
To naked eye obvious to see tumour MUCH smaller and enhancing much less [40]
(less cancerous) [40]
pointed out some things and said haven’t finished measuring but estimate AT LEAST 25% SMALLER than last scan 6 weeks ago 11/2011 [40]
said if hang around in hospital cafe for 15 minutes he’ll finish up report and can have copy [40]
had some lunch and nurse came in short while later with report [40]
better than even initially thought [40]
TUMOUR DECREASED 56% in size since beginning American treatment 8/2011 [40]
most recent scan revealed tumour decreased massive 56% in size since beginning of treatment [43]
scan – 56% tumour decrease! [59]
latest scan shows tumour at least 25% smaller than last scan 11/2011 [43]
decreased 56% in size since beginning American treatment 8/2011 [43]
sent scan CD off straight away by Fedex to America so doctors could do independent report too [40]
—————————————————————— 1/11/2012 – [40]
Yesterday night spoke to doctor at Burzynski Clinic, they’ve reviewed scans and concluded in their opinion tumour has decreased same amount [40]
need to keep on medicine into 2013 [40]
If one day lucky enough for cancer to completely disappear still need to keep on medicine up to 12 months (1 year) after, “maintenance program” designed to make sure kill every single cancerous cell because Glioblastoma Multiforme are very nasty and has “roots” that even an MRI wouldn’t necessarily pick up [40]
If stopped treatment too quickly cancer could return [40]
—————————————————————— 1/13/2012 – [43]
Dr. Burzynski and clinic have been under constant heavy criticism from people believing he’s a ‘quack’ that gives ‘false hope’ to terminally ill people [43]
a lot of criticism out there about Dr Burzynski, people saying Antineoplastons “unproven” and Dr Burzynski a scam artist taking money from dying cancer patients and terminally ill cancer patients should be discouraged from “False Hope” he gives people [43]
already tried and exhausted currently available “conventional” medicine.” [43]
diagnosed with tumour just over year ago [43]
Doctors tell us current available medicines can only slow it down – there are never any survivors 12 – 14 months (1 year – 1 year 2 months) from diagnosis is prognosis [43]
keep on medicine into 2013 [43]
—————————————————————— 2/2/2012 – [44]
treatment is working so well [44]
every 6 weeks for MRI scan [44]
—————————————————————— 2/9/2012 – [47]
really huge milestone [47]
Day to day been continuing with medicine [47]
attached to IV pump using hickman line in chest and has dose every 4 hours 24/7 [47]
Each dose lasts 90 minutes so really interrupts sleep patterns and makes tired – effectively infuses 2 litres of medicine directly into blood stream every day involves a lot of trips to toilet [47]
medicine high in sodium so on top of this drinks 5 litres of water a day [47]
aren’t any side effects other than toilet trips, extreme thirst while infusing and tiredness [47]
Next MRI scan in few weeks so nerves and worries setting in [47]
—————————————————————— 2/21/2012 – had 6 weekly MRI scan tuesday [48]
77% (Feb 2012) 77% in just 18 WEEKS [48]
decreased in size EVERY 6 weekly scan [48]
scan was even better news – 77% tumour decrease! [59]
just got results and tumour has continued shrinking [48]
now 77% smaller than when started treatment 8/2011 [48]
amazing news, was stable few months while increasing Antineoplaston dose, then hit maintenance dose 10/17/2011 [48]
decreased in size EVERY 6 weekly scan [48]
Glioblastoma Mutliforme is most agressive cancer out there so Laura will need to keep going on treatment for at least another year to kill every single cancer cell [48]
been fighting this cancer for over year now, almost approaching April [49]
This time last year told awful news that brain tumour had changed and was now much more aggressive, had turned very cancerous and future was very uncertain because it was one of worse cancers anyone could get, on top of that it was in worst location too [49]
—————————————————————— 4/5/2012 – [50]
6 weekly MRI scan went well again [50]
tumour now reduced to what doctors believe is small cavity there because biopsy 4/2011 [50]
small edge of cavity is still enhancing on scan [50]
(which means cancerous cells) [50]
enhancing less than last scan, so everything moving in right direction [50]
plan for now is to just keep going and continue daily doses of antineoplaston medication [50]
treatment working so well [50]
—————————————————————— 5/15/2012 – scan Tuesday shows what remains of tumour is now at stage where hardly enhancing at all on MRI scan, enhancement now barely visible without magnifying scan images heavily [52]
“active” (growing/spreading) malignant tumour shows up on MRI scan as bright white area [52]
bright area represents cancerous cells and tumour used to light up like light bulb which was bad news [52]
aim of any successful treatment is to get rid of everything that enhances so no longer have active tumour [52]
bulk of tumour reduced in size by 77% since reaching maximum tolerated dose of Antineoplastons (11/2011) [52]
(growth stabilised before hitting this dose) [52]
reduction in tumour size meant able to stop taking steroids [52]
(designed to reduce brain swelling but have nasty side effects) [52]
epilepsy has got much better, especially in last month [52]
seizures much less frequent [52]
What’s left of tumour – is cystic fluid filled cavity* [52]
*cavity there from surgery (Biopsy) 4/2011 [52]
cavity may never dissapear, might just stay there because brain tissue has been removed [52]
Alternatively cavity may break down very slowly and hopefully dissapear over time [52]
Either way isn’t major problem [52]
—————————————————————— 5/18/2012 – [52]
had chat with doctor over phone last night, as last scan showed very very little enhancement they have now decided to put on “finishing program” of antineoplastons [52]
If patient lucky enough to have tumour stop enhancing then they’re asked to carry on treatment for 8 months, then finish [52]
8 month schedule allows medicine to have time to kill last cancerous cells that aren’t showing up on MRI scan [52]
told once people finish schedule – in most cases – unlikely tumour will return, most people can go on to live normal tumour free life [52]
diganosed 17 months ago (1 year 5 months) [52]
“In the field of Brain Tumours there are no ‘proven’ treatments, only treatments ‘accepted’ by a group of clinicians who practise in that field” [52]
treatment isn’t guaranteed to work for everyone, but there are many long term (10, 20yr) survivors [52]
Using traditional chemo and radiation on inoperable GBM has no long term survivors [52]
—————————————————————— 6/15/2012 – [53]
suspected Hickman Line infection, really exhausted and had cold shivers [53]
Burzynski Clinic very on the ball and didn’t want to take any chances, said had to take off antineoplaston treatment and go straight to hospital so doctor could take blood cultures from hickman line and arm, local doctor arranged for us at very short notice [53]
told by clinic that if infection in line it would have to be taken out and would have to have probably 7-10 day course of antibiotics…then there would be headache of how to get another hickman line surgically fitted because only GP supporting in england [53]
havent seen or had any contact with NHS oncologist since ealier this year, despite good progress so they probably wouldn’t be able or willing to help in this situation [53]
Worst case looking at about 3 weeks without treatment – huge worry because hasn’t missed single day of treatment since 8/2011 [53]
—————————————————————— 6/21/2012 – blood cultures were taken and results were clear, no infection present [53]
started back on antineoplaston treatment again and could forget all problems and what if’s [53]
While off treatment had good chance to rest and relax, something long overdue [53]
hadn’t had full nights sleep for nearly 11 months [53]
medicine is very high in sodium so wake up during doses about 5 times a night for toilet trips and drinks [53]
totally burnt out last week so suspect cold shivers and exhaustion were just where needed a break and also past year catching up emotionally [53]
been rollercoaster, on autopilot so don’t think taken 5 minutes to stop and think about whats happened to family, extreme stress of situation, fundraising and worries about raising enough money, trip to america, treatment and all the controversy it attracts [53]
—————————————————————— 7/4/2012 – [54]
had MRI scan last week and despite being off treatment for 6 days prior to scan [54]
(due to suspected IV line infection) [54]
NO CHANGES [54]
back on antineoplaston treatment again and still scheduled to finish treatment at end of year [54]
really lucky to catch tumour early [54]
last year only initially had 3 options which were surgery, radiation and chemo [54]
did enormous amount of research and even got MP involved with discussions with head of PCT, they confirmed all standard approaches were palliative, designed to buy time – not something we were told by oncologists, who refer to these 3 modalities as “a radical treatment approach” and give little information apart from “we’ll see what happens” [54]
they are same options that’ve been used for decades – where is the progress? [54]
Being an inoperable tumour our only options left were radiation and chemo [54]
Knowing that best radiation can do is slow down growth [54]
(in some cases) [54]
If it worked that would only be small window of time [54]
was unable to take more than few days of chemo due to allergic reaction [54]
(which in fact, looking back was actually a normal body reaction to taking a highly toxic substance) [54]
Would American treatment work or would Dr Burzynski be a crook just like all the sceptics were saying? [54]
—————————————————————— 8/2012 – no trace of Tumor at all [59]
always get 2nd opinion from UK radiologist who confirms just cavity left which should resolve over time [59]
last update just after MRI scan, at which time both Dr Burzynski’s radiologist and private UK radiologist both confirmed there was no trace of residual or recurrent brain tumour on MRI scans [56]
—————————————————————— 8/29/2012 – [55]
Scan: one year on treatment! on Wednesday [55]
Burzynski Clinic advised all they can see on MRI scans is scar tissue, cavity present from where tumour used to be [55]
UK radiologist was more cautious initially [55]
(probably because he has never seen a Glioblastoma dissapear before!?) [55]
he reported on scan and came to same conclusion as Burzynski Clinic [55]
reported today he beleives all he can see is small cavity/scar tissue too [55]
fact that 2 parties don’t have any contact gives us great confidence in the 2 mirroring reports [55]
—————————————————————— 9/2012 – had scan [56]
—————————————————————— 11/1/2012 – Laura Hymas’s MRI assessment from Dr. Burzynski 11-01-2012
So this is uh a girl who came to see you uh this year, last year
Yes
I think this is after approximately uh 4 months of treatment
4, maybe 5 months
So she’s, been on treatment 4 months, and this is when she came to see you here
This was in Ju
I’m sorry, this was in July so this must be 6 months
6 months (both)
Yeah 6 months, yes
So this was July, and this was the next one that she had
That’s right
This is November, and uh, here is now, January
That’s a substantial difference, certainly
And this is with no chemotherapy
No chemotherapy
Just the uh
Just antineoplastons only
Yes
And, and what type of tumor did she have
Only, oh one, this is glioblastoma
This is the highest malignancy tumor
Yes
So you must be pretty happy with this
Well, she did very well
I’m very glad
Yeah
Sure
So maybe next one
Especially, since it was not necessary to use any other treatment
And actually, the response was somewhat slow and we thought that perhaps it would be necessary to add additional treatment, but since she got such a nice decrease we hope we can avoid any further treatment
Yeah
But this looks great because in addition to decrease in the tumor, we see also shrinkage of uh the cavity after, the operation
You mean the cavity around
That’s right
That’s right
The cavity here
Okay
So, this also, this is also the case which means that there is certain degree of repair, from the damage that was done by the procedure
Yes
That’s correct
She had a biopsy, didn’t she
That’s right
That’s tight
Yes
Yeah
So lets hope that perhaps another 2 months or 4 months it will disappear completely
—————————————————————— 11/27/2012 – scan this morning, confirm again nothing present, which is amazing news we all couldnt be happier [56]
—————————————————————— 12/25/2012 – scheduled to finish treatment just after Christmas [52]
—————————————————————— 1/2013 – It’s GONE
continuing antineoplaston treatment until end of treatment course in 1/2013 and will then have regular MRI scans to ensure tumour doesn’t re-occur
just taking time to relax and see out end of Antineoplaston treatment, which all being well will finish 1/2013 after next scheduled MRI scan [56]
finish treatment [59]
======================================
====================================== THOSE WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE:
======================================
======================================
5/12/2011 – Fundraising Launch! Thursday
such an amazing response and so many emails
Thank you so much to everyone, friends, family, friends of friends and even the people who have donated and dont even know us, we are really touched by your kindness
——————————————————————
7/8/2011 – family and freinds – parents, especially Laura’s mum and dad [18]
======================================
====================================== THE PEOPLE:
======================================
======================================
Alice – heard about us because her brother plays football with Laura’s nephew Joe [49]
——————————————————————
6/26/2011 – Bergin, James – London Bikeathon East London Thames Barrier through city 26 miles to South West London (Richmond Park) back to Thames Barrier 52 miles in 7 hours!
——————————————————————
Catlin (Alice friend Catlin) [49]
——————————————————————
8/3/2011 – Dan – Anglo-Texan friends [21]
——————————————————————
Danielle (Their friends) – run Cricketers Pub in Gillingham had disco for Laura last Friday; raising £425
——————————————————————
Elaine (Laura’s sister) [49]
——————————————————————
Figg, Keri – live locally and heard about Laura recently through a friend: Since then have been relentlessly selling wristbands, arranging fundraisers, and running all over Kent trying to get raffle prizes!
——————————————————————
Hills, Kirsten – Journalist from BBC
18:00! re-run at 22:30 [7]
——————————————————————
5/19/2011 – Hound, Rufus sent Twitter video to his 236,293 followers Thursday [8]
7/8/2011 – received almost £20,000 in 12 hours then more donations over following weeks as people continued to spread the word about the video [18]
7/8/2011 – Broken the £50,000 Barrier! – Update on Laura Friday: only started fund raising around 6 weeks ago! [18]
——————————————————————
6/26/2011 – Ben and 2 friends – London Bikeathon East London Thames Barrier through city 26 miles to South West London (Richmond Park) back to Thames Barrier 52 miles in 7 hours!
——————————————————————
5/31/2011 – Hymas, Eve (Evie) (Bens sister) – 12hr golf marathon Tuesday 7am [11]
5/31/2011 – friends at their schools who have donated to the fund [11]
5/31/2011 – Hymas, Theo (Brother) – [11]
——————————————————————
7/8/2011 – Les (Laura’s father in law) and his good friend [17]
——————————————————————
5/31/2011 – Jackson, Jemma – 12hr golf marathon Tuesday 7am [11]
——————————————————————
7/8/2011 – Jeffries, Terry …Local artist who gave a print of a beautiful painting of Venice, DeBeers diamond company donated a gold and diamond pen along with a box of 5 tickets to the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall! [17]
——————————————————————
Joe (Laura’s nephew) up north [49]
——————————————————————
Jones, Sandra – live locally and heard about Laura recently through a friend: Since then have been relentlessly selling wristbands, arranging fundraisers, and running all over Kent trying to get raffle prizes!
——————————————————————
7/10/2011 – Local Man Donates £5,000 ! Sunday [19]
Lee – local man donated £5,000 after reading her story on leaflet in shop near Jacobs nursery [19]
Ben and Laura’s dad Fred arranged to meet Lee in a coffee shop in Rochester yesterday [19]
——————————————————————
4/19/2012 – Les (Laura’s friend) [51]
——————————————————————
8/3/2011 – Louise – Anglo-Texan friends [21]
——————————————————————
6/26/2011 – Marks, Richard – London Bikeathon East London Thames Barrier through city 26 miles to South West London (Richmond Park) back to Thames Barrier 52 miles in 7 hours!
——————————————————————
7/8/2011 – Meaking, Len (Les’ good friend) [17]
7/8/2011 – Auction and raffle [17]
——————————————————————
6/17/2011 – Morden, Emily – Barclays staff members: branch in Rayleigh, Essex fund raising day for Laura on Friday [12]
——————————————————————
McKenzie, Leon (ex Crystal Palace) [7]
——————————————————————
time to meet Russ – English guy who lives in Texas who heard about us on twitter – he’s offered to let us have a car for free while we’re here saving about £1000 [21]
——————————————————————
Snowdon, Lisa [7]
——————————————————————
Stanley Family [7]
auction off their dad’s signed Manchester City football shirt
——————————————————————
STANLEY, KAYLIE (Kayley) [7]
one of Laura’s oldest school friends, sadly lost her father to Brain Cancer when they were growing up [7]
sell her wedding dress and donate proceeds to the fund
——————————————————————
Steve (Their friends) – run Cricketers Pub in Gillingham had disco for Laura last Friday; raising £425
——————————————————————
6/17/2011 – Stevenson, Robyn – Barclays staff members: branch in Rayleigh, Essex fund raising day for Laura on Friday [12]
——————————————————————
6/17/2011 – Stevenson, Sam – Barclays staff members: branch in Rayleigh, Essex fund raising day for Laura on Friday [12]
——————————————————————
6/27/2011 – Taylor, Jessica L E – founder of “Share a Star” charity, Kent [15] http://www.shareastar.org.uk
——————————————————————
6/19/2011 – Willis, Brett – on Sunday completed 60 mile London to Brighton bike ride aim to complete ride in under 5 hours and managed it in 4hrs 51 minutes! [13]
6/19/2011 – raising £619 [13]
6/19/2011 – everyone who sponsored Brett and played a part in helping us raise money for the treatment fund [13]
——————————————————————
5/31/2011 – generously hosted by Roy, Sarah and Woodage, Charlie [11]
5/31/2011 – Woodage, Charlie – 12hr golf marathon Tuesday 7am [11]
——————————————————————
08/12/2011 – funded by £75,000 raised by family, friends and strangers [37]
10/2011 – if does save her life, we can carry on raising money for others in a similar situation [4]
======================================
====================================== BUSINESSES:
======================================
======================================
4/19/2012 – Night Out event Friday that Laura’s friend Les has been busy arranging [51]
——————————————————————
4/27/2012 – Fundraising event is Sponsored Assult Course for kids Friday [49]
All children will be involved and Lofty The Lion, Bolton Wanderers mascot
children are being educated about Laura and her condition, as school feel is very important that children realise these events can occur in people’s lives
Elaine said there will be Barbeque, ice creams etc [49]
——————————————————————
6/27/2011 – London 52 Mile Bikeathon Completed! Monday
——————————————————————
5/31/2011 – public par 65 Bramford Golf Center [11]
5/31/2011 – Tuesday at 7am, 12hr golf marathon (golfathon)
5/31/2011 – 124 holes and almost £500 in sponsorship [11]
——————————————————————
6/12/2011 – Golf Marathon! Sunday
——————————————————————
6/17/2011 – Barclays staff members: branch in Rayleigh, Essex fund raising day for Laura on Friday girls are friends of Laura and all wore grey to represent their support of “Wear Grey For Laura Day” as grey represents the colour for Brain Cancer support [12]
6/17/2011 – Barclays staff members: branch in Rayleigh, Essex fund raising day for Laura on Friday They all baked and brought cakes in and sold them to customers in exchange for a small donation [12]
6/17/2011 – Barclays staff members: branch in Rayleigh, Essex fund raising day for Laura on Friday The branch was dressed up in silver balloons and banners to help raise awareness and set the scene! [12]
6/17/2011 – Barclays staff members: branch in Rayleigh, Essex fund raising day for Laura on Friday raising £573.08 !! [12]
——————————————————————
6/20/2011 – Barclays Branch Fund Raiser Monday [12]
——————————————————————
Cricketers Pub in Gillingham had disco for Laura last Friday; raising £425 – Steve and Danielle (their friends) run
——————————————————————
08/12/2011 – enjoyed family trip to Dickensian Christmas Festival in Rochester at the weekend [37]
——————————————————————
7/8/2011 – Golf Tournament Raises £4,040! Friday
Len had charity BBQ at his house last weekend and raised £500 bringing total raised to £4,040 ! [17]
7/8/2011 – arranged golf tournament wednesday Hintlesham Hallf Golf Club in Suffolk, followed by hog roast, raffle some generous auction items, some nice cake [17]
——————————————————————
7/8/2011 – anonymous golfer donated holiday to La Manga with flights, accomodation and 2 rounds of golf included! [17]
——————————————————————
7/4/2011 – Prima Montessori Family Fun Day! Monday [16]
7/3/2011 – Jacobs nursery held fun day on sunday to help raise money for Laura’s fund! [16]
7/3/2011 – nursery staff got together and produced amazing day BBQ, cakes, Tombola, Raffle prizes, Painting and messy play, a Magician/entertainer for the kids, bouncy castle and loads more …including throwing wet sponges
(and later full water buckets!)
at the staff for a few quid!
Mums and Dads even benefited – they got their car washed
(for a small fee) [16]
The family run nursery have been a great support to us and are arranging more events over the next month, we cant thank them enough for their support and the amazing job they’re doing looking after Jacob – he loves his days at the nursery! [16]
6/26/2011 – raise amazing £7,650 in total sponsorship for this event from colleagues at RWE Trading where Ben and James work and RBS where Richard works!
——————————————————————
6/27/2011 – “Share a Star” Supports Monday [15] http://www.shareastar.org.uk
——————————————————————
4/5/2012 – relaxing spa break courtesy of The Willow Foundation [50] http://www.willowfoundation.org.uk
======================================
====================================== NEWS MEDIA:
======================================
======================================
3/25/2012 – in local paper last week article celebrating recent scan showed 77% tumour reduction [49]
——————————————————————
5/15/2011 – BBC SOUTH EAST NEWS [7]
——————————————————————
2011 – BELLA magazine
——————————————————————
5/27/2011 – Daily Mirror Covers My Story Friday [9]
IPC magazines journalist [7]
——————————————————————
‘Pick Me Up’ magazine – has circulation of 400,000 copies sold every week [7]
£500 to Lauras Hope fund for her story! [7]
——————————————————————
5/27/2011 – NewsUK News,Real life: I’ll do anything I can to stay alive for my baby 12:01 AM By Mirror.co.uk [10]
——————————————————————
Sky channel 983 – family and friends not in Kent/Sussex & Surrey area [7]
======================================
====================================== REFERENCES:
======================================
====================================== [1] – 12/24/2009 – Laura’s Tumour
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/lauras-tumour
====================================== [2] – 5/8/2011 – Our Original Appeal – 8th May 2011: Welcome to the Hope for Laura Fund
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk
====================================== [3] – Hope for Laura Fund blog
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog
====================================== [4]
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/frontpage/4
====================================== [5] – 5/12/2011 – Fundraising Launch! on Thursday, 12 May 2011
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/our-second-blog-post
====================================== [6]
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/frontpage/3
====================================== [7] – 5/14/2011 – Press Coverage! on Saturday, 14 May 2011. BBC SOUTH EAST NEWS & PICK ME UP MAGAZINE
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/press-coverage
====================================== [8] – 5/19/2011 – Twitter Has Gone Mad!! on Thursday, 19 May 2011. RUFUS HOUND GOES THE EXTRA MILE FOR LAURA
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/twitter-has-gone-mad
====================================== [9] – 5/27/2011 – Daily Mirror Covers My Story on Friday, 27 May 2011. COVERAGE AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN TODAYS HARDCOPY PAPER
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/daily-mirror
====================================== [10] – 5/27/2011 – NewsUK News, Real life: I’ll do anything I can to stay alive for my baby 27 May 2011 12:01 AM By
Mirror.co.uk
—————————————————————— http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/real-life-ill-do-anything-i-can-130745
====================================== [11] – 5/31/2011 (6/12/2011) – Golf Marathon! on Sunday, 12 June 2011. On Tuesday 31st May at 7am, Charlie Woodage, Jemma Jackson and Bens sister Eve Hymas teed off for a 12hr golf marathon in aid of the ‘hope for laura fund’
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/golf-marathon
====================================== [12] – 6/20/2011 – Barclays Branch Fund Raiser on Monday, 20 June 2011. Barclays staff members Emily Morden, Robyn Stevenson & Sam Stevenson arranged for the branch in Rayleigh, Essex to have a fund raising day for Laura on Friday 17th June
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/barclays-branch-fund-raiser
====================================== [13] – 6/20/2011 – London to Brighton Ride on Monday, 20 June 2011. A huge thank you from us to Brett Willis who on Sunday completed the 60 mile London to Brighton bike ride in aid of Laura
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/london-to-brighton-ride
====================================== [14] – 6/27/2011 – London 52 Mile Bikeathon Completed! on Monday, 27 June 2011. Laura’s fiancee Ben and two friends (James Bergin and Richard Marks) completed the London Bikeathon yesterday to raise money for Laura’s fund!
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/london-52-mile-bikeathon-completed
====================================== [15] – 6/27/2011 – “Share a Star” Supports Laura on Monday, 27 June 2011. Jessica L E Taylor, the founder of the “Share a Star” charity gave Laura a personalised gift of a Star to hold with her when visiting the hospital having treatment and to take to America with us when we visit the clinic
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/share-a-star-supports-laura
====================================== [16] – 7/4/2011 – Prima Montessori Family Fun Day! on Monday, 04 July 2011. Jacobs nursery held a fun day on sunday to help raise money for Laura’s fund!
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/prima-montessori-family-fun-day
====================================== [17] – 7/8/2011 – Golf Tournament Raises £4,040! on Friday, 08 July 2011. Laura’s father in law Les and his good friend Len Meaking arranged a golf tournament on wednesday to raise money for Laura
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/golf-tournament-raises-4040
====================================== [18] – 7/8/2011 – Broken the £50,000 Barrier! – Update on Laura on Friday, 08 July 2011. Following on from the golf tournament we have now broken the £50,000 barrier!
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/broken-the-50000-barrier-update-on-laura
====================================== [19] – 7/10/2011 – Local Man Donates £5,000 ! on Sunday, 10 July 2011. Lee, a local man has donated £5,000 to Laura’s fund after reading about her story on a leaflet in a shop near Jacobs nursery
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/local-man-donates-5000
====================================== [20] – 7/30/2011 – Welcome to Houston! on Saturday, 30 July 2011. NOW THAT’S A SIGN WE DIDN’T THINK WE WOULD SEE UNTIL AT LEAST OCTOBER!
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/welcome-to-houston
====================================== [21] – 8/3/2011 – Consultation Day on Wednesday, 03 August 2011. WE HAD A MIXTURE OF FEELINGS THIS MORNING. TODAY AT 11:30AM WAS CONSULTATION DAY AT THE CLINIC…
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/consultation-day
====================================== [22] – 8/4/2011 – FDA Approval! on Thursday, 04 August 2011. We just got a call from the clinic and Laura has now been approved for treatment by the FDA much quicker than we thought!
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/fda-approval
====================================== [23] – LAURA’S TREATMENT IN AMERICA
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/us-treatment
====================================== [24]
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/frontpage/2
====================================== [25] – 8/6/2011 – IV fitted all set for Monday on Saturday, 06 August 2011
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/iv-fitted-all-set-for-monday
====================================== [26] – 8/8/2011 – Kent is near Wales?? on Monday, 08 August 2011. ….i’ll explain the title in a minute :o) Today was first day of antineoplaston medicine at the Burzynski Clinic!
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/kent-is-near-wales
====================================== [27] – 8/18/2011 – Treatment Progress Update on Thursday, 18 August 2011. Has it really been 10 days since i’ve written the last Blog update?!
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/treatment-progress-update
====================================== [28] – 8/24/2011 – Our american journey comes to an end.. on Wednesday, 24 August 2011. After what seems like months, but is only three weeks we have come to the end of this part of our journey.
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/our-american-journey-comes-to-an-end
====================================== [29] – 9/7/2011 – Update since we got back home on Wednesday, 07 September 2011. Sorry for the Radio silence over the past few weeks!
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/update-since-we-got-home
====================================== [30] – 9/9/2011 – Stable Tumour! on Friday, 09 September 2011. Laura had an MRI scan on monday and we got a call from the clinic last night to go over the results
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/stable-tumour
====================================== [31] – 9/15/2011 – Music Festival – Chatham, Kent! on Thursday, 15 September 2011
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/music-festival-chatham-kent
====================================== [32] – 10/3/2011 – Remembering brave friends on Monday, 03 October 2011
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/remembering-brave-friends
====================================== [33] – 10/21/2011 – MRI results day on Friday, 21 October 2011
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/mri-results-day
====================================== [34] – 11/21/2011 – Update for November 2011 on Monday, 21 November 2011
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/update-for-november-2011
====================================== [35] – 11/30/2011 – MRI Scan Day! on Wednesday, 30 November 2011
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/mri-scan-day
====================================== [36] – 12/6/2011 – MRI 2nd Opinion on Tuesday, 06 December 2011.
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/mri-2nd-opinion
====================================== [37] – 12/9/2011 – Cancer sufferer Laura Hymas has miracle ‘cure’
—————————————————————— http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/home/2011/december/9/cancer_sufferer_laura_hymas.aspx
====================================== [38] – 12/21/2011 – Visit to the NHS Oncologist on Wednesday, 21 December 2011
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/visit-to-the-nhs-oncologist
====================================== [39] – 12/31/2011 – Happy New Year! on Saturday, 31 December 2011
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/happy-new-year
====================================== [40] – 1/12/2012 – What a start to 2012! Amazing News! on Thursday, 12 January 2012
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/what-a-start-to-2012-amazing-news
====================================== [41] – 1/12/2012 – Video Interview with Dr Burzynski about Laura! on Thursday, 12 January 2012
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/interview-with-dr-burzynski-about-laura
====================================== [42] – 1/12/2012 – Video Interview with Dr Burzynski about Laura! on Thursday, 12 January 2012. Click Here if the video doesn’t load –
——————————————————————
——————————————————————
This is an interview with Dr Burzynski discussing Laura’s case and latest scan results!
Please take a look at the video – you’ll be probably as shocked as we were at what Dr Burzynski says at the end of the interview!
======================================
====================================== [43] – 1/13/2012 – Cancer patient’s husband hits back at critics… Jan 13th, 2012 @ 12:54 am › Jonathan Smith-Squire
—————————————————————— http://sellyourstoryuk.com/2012/01/13/burzynski-critics/
====================================== [44] – 2/2/2012 – JustGiving Page & Text Donation on Thursday, 02 February 2012
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/justgiving-page-text-donation
====================================== [45] – 2/4/2012 – Laura & Hannah Video on Saturday, 04 February 2012
—————————————————————— http://www.hopeforlaurafund.co.uk/blog/item/laura-hannah
====================================== [46] – If youre not able to view the video of Laura and Hannah click here
——————————————————————
6/7/2013 the Watford Observer published this article By Kathryn Snowdon [1]
“The mother of Luna Petagine has cast doubt on the expensive treatment the family sought in America during the Oxhey girl’s four-year battle with cancer“
—————————————————————— “Expensive treatment,”based on what objective criteria ? [2]
—————————————————————— “BBC Panorama this week aired an investigation into Doctor Stanislaw Burzynski’s cancer clinic in Texas, where hundreds of children – normally terminally ill – go and seek treatment”
“Luna, who was five-years-old when she died last year, was a patient at The Burzynski Clinic after her parents were told the physician could cure their daughter, despite Great Ormond Street Hospital doctors saying little more could be done for her”
—————————————————————— Why the conflicting statements ?
a)“her parents were told the physician could cure their daughter”
b)“The NHS are telling me my daughter’s going to die and this man is telling me that he thinks he can cure her.”
c)“He said he hoped to cure my daughter“
d)“The plan was to try and cure Luna.”
—————————————————————— “Luna’s mother, Lucy Petagine, of Raglan Gardens, said there was no doubt in her mind she was going to send her daughter to Dr Burzynski“
“Mrs Petagine said:”
“Of course I’m going to go with him
If anyone had knocked on my door and said
‘here if you try this it will work’
“then yeah I would have tried it because I was in desperation”
“The NHS are telling me my daughter’s going to die and this man is telling me that he thinks he can cure her.”
“Mrs Petagine added:”
“It was all about hope
He said he hoped to cure my daughter
The plan was to try and cure Luna.”
“In order to finance the treatment, which the family believed could be life-saving, more than £100,000 was raised and in September 2011 they travelled to America”
“However, Mrs Petagine said the treatment at The Burzynski Clinic was actually killing her daughter“
“She added:”
“The treatment was – what was happening – was actually killing Luna because it put this pressure on her brain stem.”
—————————————————————— Why did Mrs Petagine say that “the treatment at The Burzynski Clinic” … “was actually killing Luna” ?
Did someone tell her this, or was this her personal opinion ?
We know from Burzynski’s 3/2004 publication that:
“The reason for 50% Progressive Disease (PD) in studies is long dose-escalation process, which extends to more than a month’s time period, before the optimal dosage is reached” [3]
—————————————————————— “In response to Panorama’s questioning and claims that he was merely selling hope to vulnerable families, Dr Burzynski said:”
“Can you imagine that the US government… they would allow me to be here if I just sell hope?”
——————————————————————
Isn’t every cancer treatment “selling hope to vulnerable families”?
Isn’t every cancer clinical trial “selling hope to vulnerable families” ?
—————————————————————— “The treatment has not been approved by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA)“
—————————————————————— 12/2008 – Burzynski’s publication advised:
“In 2004 the FDA granted orphan drug designation for antineoplastons A10 and AS2-1 for the treatment of brainstem glioma” [4]
9/2012 – “The FDA granted Orphan Drug designation for Antineoplastons A10 and AS2-1 for the treatment of gliomas, in 2009″ [5]
—————————————————————— “A month into Luna’s therapy, an MRI revealed the tumour had grown, pressing on Luna’s brain stem and causing her breathing problems and facial palsy”
“Mrs Petagine said:”
“They said the tumour’s grown and we were like ‘how could it have grown this quickly, this doesn’t make sense’.”
——————————————————————
What does Mrs Petagine mean when she said:
‘how could it have grown this quickly, this doesn’t make sense’ ?
We know from [3] above, that the tumor is likely to grow before the medicine has reached it’s optimal dosage, and the tumor starts to decrease in size
—————————————————————— “Luna had to be admitted to intensive care in Texas Children’s Hospital“
“Mrs Petagine said:”
“Texas Children’s hate The Burzynski Clinic
“They said they have to clean up all his mess”
“The second you walk in the door they look at your child and they did actually say to us ‘are you a Burzynski family?’”
——————————————————————
If Texas Children’s actually does that with every child patient that comes in the door, that would be a really stupid bias to foist on some unsuspecting parent
—————————————————————— “Luna died in August last year”
——————————————————————
Unfortunately, the article does not tell the reader what happened ?
This page is linked to:
===================================== Critiquing: Dr. Michael A. Friedman, Dr. Mark G. Malkin, Dr. Mario Sznol, Robert B. Lanman, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic, Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Public Health Service, Quality Assurance and Compliance Section, Regulatory Affairs Branch (RAB), Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP), Division of Cancer Treatment (DCT), National Cancer Center (NCI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Stanislaw Burzynski: On the arrogance of ignorance about cancer and targeted therapies
—————————————————————— https://stanislawrajmundburzynski.wordpress.com/2013/09/08/critiquing-stanislaw-burzynski-on-the-arrogance-of-ignorance-about-cancer-and-targeted-therapies/
======================================
[8] – 1993 (10/26/1993) – Burzynski to Dr. Michael A. Friedman
——————————————————————
Dear Dr. Friedman,
In response to your letter of 10/20/1993, it is difficult for me to understand why the entire 1st page of your letter is used to discuss the simplest issue:
that adults should use a different dosage than that used for children
Since you agreed to the study procedure of Protocol BT-6 as recommended in my letter of 6/9/1993, we have not requested any changes in the structure of treatment which was accepted by Memorial-Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC)
As you confirmed in your letter of 10/20/1993, you know very well that since 4/1/1993 of this year my recommended dosage of Antineoplaston AS2-1 for adults is 0.4g/kg/24h
Again, I confirmed that this is the right dosage for adults in my letter to Dr. Shoemaker of 8/24/1993
Yet, for no apparent reason, you insist on using in the adult treatment protocol the dosage 0.6g/kg/24h which I recommend for children
It is generally known that a child’s body weight is much lower than that of adults
This should be reflected in the escalation of the dosages
My recommendation as to how to escalate the dosages for adults was submitted to the NCI on 6/4/1992
Yet, for no apparent reason the MSKCC protocol, which is designed for adults, escalates the dosages in the small increments recommended for children
The principle behind dose escalation is to accomplish the maximum dosage in 3 to 5 days, not 3 to 4 weeks, which would expose the patient to the unnecessary risk of tumor progression
I appreciate very much that you have finally decided to follow my recommendation regarding dosage and dosage escalation
Regarding the number of patients to be treated at MSKCC, the contradictory, incomplete, and inconsistent information is being supplied by you
The MSKCC’s protocol of 4/16/1993, 7/13/1993, and 8/30/1993 describe the treatment of 35,
Pg. 2
but not 70 patients
(please see paragraph 12.1, pg. 10 of the protocol, which is attached)
It was our understanding that 35 patients would be treated at MSKCC and at the Mayo Clinic
I never agreed for the treatment of 70 patients at MSKCC
Since I have to produce the medicine for the trial and pay for it, it is vitally important to me to know how many patients will be treated
The treatment of an additional 35 patients may cost up to 2 million dollars
Contrary to the information given by NCI that we received the money for the production of medicine, this money went apparently into a “black hole”
(“Black Holism,” The Village Voice, 7/29/1993, enclosed)
We have received none of the money which the Office of Alternative Medicine gave to the NCI for funding the trials with our medicine
Contrary to the opinion expressed in your letter, we see no reason for modifying Fleming’s Phase II clinical trial design and introducing more stringent than usual criteria for response evaluation
We request that Fleming’s original design be used, which calls for the initial treatment of 15 patients with at least one responder, instead of 20 patients and 2 responders
Given the fact that there is no existing treatment effective in this type of cancer, one responder in 15 is certainly significant and would be reason enough to expand the trial
I found your your requirement for 14 days to complete scans and laboratory tests prior to treatment very interesting
It is a very well known fact that glioblastoma multiforme is such an active tumor that if 2 weeks elapses from the time of the scan and the beginning of treatment, the tumor may increase by more than 50%
This means that even before the patient begins treatment, he can be classified as an increasing disease case
In most of the hospitals in the U.S., including out tiny clinic, all pretreatment tests including the scans can be done in one day
Therefore, I insist that the pretreatment evaluation, including brain scans, be done within 7 days from the time treatment begins
Regarding the Karnofsky Performance Status (PS), it is unclear to me why you have backed off from your own recommendation in your letter of 5/5/1993 (copy attached) that “patients with Karnofsky PS of below 70% should be excluded”
I am requesting that as recommended by NCI, the patient’s PS should be 70% to 100%
I agree that both scan data and neurological assessment can be described in the analysis of response, but the decision of how to classify response should be based on tumor measurements alone
All of these patients will have been extensively treated before
As the result of previous neurotoxic treatments, a number of these patients will deteriorate neurologically even if the Antineoplastons eradicate the
Pg. 3
tumor
The purpose of the protocol is to evaluate the antitumor effect, not to prove that Antineoplastons can repair brain damage resulting from chemotherapy and radiation
In this 1st independent study with Antineoplastons, in order to assure that patients will derive the most benefit from the treatment, it is critically important to schedule more frequent evaluations of the data than waiting until after the accrual of 14 patients, i.e. waiting 9 months
(Based on an accrual of 2 patients per month, if we wait until 14 patients are accrued and treated, 9 months will pass before the 1st evaluation takes place)
Therefore, I request that reviews of the studies be performed after the treatment of each group of 5 patients, i.e. after 6 months
I agree, however, that you will provide the Theradex printout to us as you receive it
In addition to patient welfare, there is another reason for more frequent patient evaluations
As you stated in your letter, I have no doubt that the investigators at MSKCC have extensive experience treating glioma
However, MSKCC is known to be biased against Antineoplastons
At least 3 researchers associated with MSKCC published willful misrepresentations and distortions about Antineoplaston research
Because of the controversial nature of the upcoming Antineoplaston clinical trials, it is essential that they are conducted in a manner beyond any suspicion of bias
Contrary to the opinion expressed in your letter, NCI is responsible for the trial’s delay
As you well know, the NCI selected an MSKCC investigator in 9/1992
In spite of our repeated requests, 8 months were waisted before the NCI produced the 1st draft of the protocol
As promised in my letter to you of 11/11/1992, the supply of Antineoplastons has been prepared and was shown to Ms. Mary McCabe of NCI during the site visit on 2/9/1993
The medicine was ready to be released pending final approval approval of the labels by the FDA and our final QC inspection
The medicine will be sent to you immediately once you make the corrections to the protocol that we have requested
Since you mentioned that patient recruitment has begun already, I would be glad to accept these patients immediately under my care and offer them free medicine as we wait for the protocol to be revised and the treatment at MSKCC to begin
The MSKCC protocol in its current form would threaten the welfare of these patients
In your letter you stated that your mission is to find and develop better therapies for cancer patients, and that your only obligation is to those patients
However, the way
Pg. 4
you proceed leads me to question that for the following reasons:
1) Out of numerous cancer treatment centers, you selected 2:
MSKCC and Mayo Clinic, which are known to be strongly biased against alternative treatments
In the past doctors associated with MSKCC have voiced strong opposition to Antineoplaston therapy and have published articles full of misrepresentations and distortions
2) The protocol approved by you will allow the disease to progress between the pretreatment evaluation and the beginning of treatment
3) Due to the slow escalation of dosages, patients will most likely have marked increase of tumor size beginning the treatment at the correct dosage level
4) In spite of my numerous requests (letters of 4/29/1993, 6/9/1993, and 8/24/1993) to proceed following the guidelines of the NCI’s Decision Network on 12/2/1991 to have a separate clinical trial for glioblastoma multiforme and anaplastic astrocytoma, you continue to combine both types of tumors together
Even in your most recent stratification strategy submitted to the FDA, you are planning to treat initially 20 patients without specifying whether those 20 patients are per each stratum (glioblastoma vs. anaplastic astrocytoma), or whether this initial group of 20 patients consist of a mixture of glioblastoma and anaplastic astrocytoma
If the latter is the case, then we can expect that among these 1st 20 patients, most will have glioblastoma, which is more common and more difficult to treat
In case of treatment failure in these 20 patients, it will be easy to make the statement that Antineoplastons do not have therapeutic effect in both tumor categories
5) The protocol now states in paragraph 10.2, 10.3, and 10.4 that the objective decrease of tumor size is not enough to be considered a true response to treatment, that there must also be improvement in neurological function
As I explained in my letter of 10/13/1993 to Dr. Greenblatt, it is not unusual in my practice to see patients whose tumor has disappeared, but who have deteriorated neurologically as the result of delayed toxicity from radiation therapy and chemotherapy
Since these patients in the MSKCC study have been pretreated, and since there has been no indication that anything, including Antineoplastons, can repair brain damage caused by chemotherapy and radiation, I request that the criteria including restored neurological functioning be removed from paragraphs 10.2, 10.3, and 10.4 of the protocol
Pg, 5
6) Finally, by limiting our access to the data and not allowing review until after the 1st 14 patients have been treated, it would be easy to deviate from the protocol and supply inadequate treatment, and then claim that due to the the failure of the 1st 14 patients it would be a waste of the taxpayers money to proceed with further treatment
Your final statements that you are ready to proceed with the treatment with Antineoplastons without our participation caught me by surprise
It is hard to imagine that a Federal employee would consider patent infringement, thus infringing on the patent rights of thousands of our shareholders
Once again, I urge you to take our requests seriously, honor the guidelines of the NCI’s Decision Network on 12/2/1991, and make proper corrections to the protocol, so that objective clinical studies can begin immediately
In the meantime, I would be glad to treat for free all the patients presently recruited, and will submit progress reports weekly for the NCI’s review and evaluation
SRB/cf
cc:
Senator Joseph Biden
Senator Barbara Boxer
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Senator Tom Harkin
Senator Barbara Mikulski
Congressman Berkley Bedell
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi
Dr. Samuel Broder
Dr. Jan Buckner
Dr. Bruce Chabner
Dr. Daniel Eskinazi
Dr. Jay Greenblatt
Dr. Joseph Jacobs
Dr. Mark Malkin
Ms. Mary McCabe
Dr. David Parkinson
Dr. Mario Sznol
Ms. Dorothy Tisevich
======================================
======================================
1993 (10/26/1993) – SRB to [5]
1993 (10/26/1993) – SRB to [14]
1991 (12/2/1991) – guidelines of the NCI’s Decision Network [5 Pgs.]
1992 (6/4/1992) Burzynski to NCI
1992 (9/1992) – NCI selected MSKCC investigator
1992 (11/11/1992) – Burzynski to Dr. Michael A. Friedman
1993 (2/9/1993) – NCI Mary McCabe site visit
1993 (4/1/1993) –
1993 (4/16/1993) – MSKCC protocol
1993 (4/29/1993) – Burzynski to
to proceed following the guidelines of the NCI’s Decision Network on 12/2/1991
1993 (5/5/1993) – Dr. Michael A. Friedman to Burzynski
1993 (6/9/1993) – Burzynski to
to proceed following the guidelines of the NCI’s Decision Network on 12/2/1991
1993 (7/13/1993) – MSKCC protocol
1993 (7/29/1993) – “Black Holism,” The Village Voice
1993 (8/24/1993) – Burzynski to Dr. Dale Shoemaker
to proceed following the guidelines of the NCI’s Decision Network on 12/2/1991
1993 (8/30/1993) – MSKCC protocol
1993 (10/20/1993) – Dr. Michael A. Friedman to Burzynski
======================================
“Aetna considers antineoplaston therapy (auto-urine therapy) and associated medical services experimental and investigational because there is insufficient evidence published in the peer-reviewed medical literature validating the effectiveness of antineoplaston therapy for any indication“
====================================
Interestingly, the above “claim” does NOT provide any specific citation(s), reference(s), or link(s) to support this claim
[2] – “auto-urine therapy” is generally defined as using one’s own urine, drinking urine, etc., which is NOT what “antineoplaston therapy” is, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
—————————————————————— [3] – 10/4/1991 – Five doctors (3 from the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Branch (CTEP); including the Head of the Quality Assurance and Compliance Section, Regulatory Affairs Branch, Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, Department of Health &Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, and 2 invited consultants; including one from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center) visited the offices of Dr. Stanislaw R. Burzynski
—————————————————————— [4] – 10/31/1991 – Michael A. Friedman, M.D. Associate Director, Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP), Department of Health &Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, sent a one page Memorandum to Bruce A. Chabner, M.D., Director, Division of Cancer Treatment, which stated, in part:
“I thought you would be interested in this for several reasons:”
“3. Antineoplastons deserve a closer look”
“It turns out that the agents are well defined, pure chemical entities“
=======================================
======================================= “The human brain tumor responses are real”
======================================= [5] – 11/15/1991 – Michael J. Hawkins, M.D., Chief, Investigational Drug Branch, Department of Health &Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, sent a 7 page letter to Decision Network, which stated, in part, on page one:
=======================================
======================================= “It was the opinion of the site visit team that antitumor activity was documented in this best case series … “
======================================= [6] – 12/2/91 – NCI (National Cancer Institute), Decision Network Report on Antineoplastons, states in part, on page 11:
======================================= “The site visit team determined that antitumor activity was documented in this best case series … “
=======================================
======================================= [7] – CANCER FACTS
National Cancer Institute • National Institutes of Health Department of Health and Human Services, Antineoplastons, pg. 1
=======================================
======================================= “The reviewers of this series found evidence of antitumor activity … “
======================================= [8] – Page 1 of 6, BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama, Antineoplaston Cancer Therapy, Policy #: 280, Category: Medicine, states, in part, on page 2 of 6:
Key Points:
=======================================
======================================= “The reviewers of this series found evidence of antitumor activity … “
=======================================
======================================= [9] – ANTINEOPLASTON THERAPY, HS-183, pg. 2
=======================================
======================================= “After the reviewers found some evidence of antitumor activity … “
=======================================
======================================= These facts indicate to me that Aetna’s claim about “antineoplastons”, is “debatable”
“Some people promote antineoplaston therapy as a cancer treatment“
“But available scientific evidence does not support claims that antineoplaston therapy is effective in treating or preventing cancer“
” Although Dr Burzynski’s own clinic have reported positive results for these trials, no other researchers have been able to show that this type of treatment helps to treat cancer“
====================================
Interestingly, the above “claim” does NOT provide any specific citation(s), reference(s), or link(s) to support this claim
—————————————————————— [2] – 10/4/1991 – Five doctors (3 from the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Branch (CTEP); including the Head of the Quality Assurance and Compliance Section, Regulatory Affairs Branch, Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, Department of Health &Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, and 2 invited consultants; including one from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center) visited the offices of Dr. Stanislaw R. Burzynski
—————————————————————— [3] – 10/31/1991 – Michael A. Friedman, M.D. Associate Director, Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP), Department of Health &Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, sent a one page Memorandum to Bruce A. Chabner, M.D., Director, Division of Cancer Treatment, which stated, in part:
“I thought you would be interested in this for several reasons:”
“3. Antineoplastons deserve a closer look”
“It turns out that the agents are well defined, pure chemical entities“
=======================================
======================================= “The human brain tumor responses are real”
======================================= [4] – 11/15/1991 – Michael J. Hawkins, M.D., Chief, Investigational Drug Branch, Department of Health &Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, sent a 7 page letter to Decision Network, which stated, in part, on page one:
=======================================
======================================= “It was the opinion of the site visit team that antitumor activity was documented in this best case series … “
======================================= [5] – 12/2/91 – NCI (National Cancer Institute), Decision Network Report on Antineoplastons, states in part, on page 11:
=======================================
======================================= “The site visit team determined that antitumor activity was documented in this best case series … “
======================================= [6] – CANCER FACTS
National Cancer Institute • National Institutes of Health Department of Health and Human Services, Antineoplastons, pg. 1
=======================================
======================================= “The reviewers of this series found evidence of antitumor activity … “
======================================= [7] – Page 1 of 6, BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama, Antineoplaston Cancer Therapy, Policy #: 280, Category: Medicine, states, in part, on page 2 of 6:
Key Points:
=======================================
======================================= “The reviewers of this series found evidence of antitumor activity … “
=======================================
======================================= [8] – ANTINEOPLASTON THERAPY, HS-183, pg. 2
=======================================
======================================= “After the reviewers found some evidence of antitumor activity … “
=======================================
======================================= These facts indicate to me that Cancer Research UK’s claim about “antineoplastons”, is “debatable”
For years, Gorski has been able to comment on Burzynski’s “personalized gene targeted therapy” with impunity
It’s about time he received some personal attention, leading to heapin’ helpings of not-so-Respectful Insolence
All of the below articles by Gorski were tagged as having to do with:
personalized gene targeted cancer therapy, or mention it
—————————————————————— http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/tag/personalized-gene-targeted-cancer-therapy/
—————————————————————— I AM ADDING TO THIS AS I GO ALONG
====================================== [1] – 6/5/2013 – ” … in January the Burzynski Clinic removed all references to antineoplaston therapy on its website … “
—————————————————————— [2] – 8/4/2013 – I proved Gorski wrong since Burzynski’s scientific publications regarding antineoplaston therapy are on the Burzynski website
====================================== [1] – 6/5/2013 – “Three years should be plenty of time to line up clinical sites for a phase III trial”
“Of course, given that after three years the clinical trial hasn’t been opened, more than likely no reputable institution wants to partner with the Burzynski Research Institute, and ResearchPoint collected its checks”
—————————————————————— [3] – 7/18/2013 – This statement by Gorski is disingenuous since 6/3/2013 he reviewed Burzynski: Cancer Is Serious Business, Part II where this issue was addressed, and he made NO COMMENT about it in his review
Gorski can distort, exaggerate, and even lie to the public
====================================== [1] – 6/5/2013 – “Another interesting tidbit in the SEC filing is Burzynski’s report of the results of several of his clinical trials”
“They aren’t really “results’ per se, in that the information presented really isn’t provided in a form that really allows other investigators to evaluate it and potentially replicate it”
“Basically it’s a big table listing Burzynski Research Institute clinical trials”
“Of course, I realize that this is an SEC filing, not a scientific paper in the peer-reviewed literature, but if Burzynski has all this data to produce this table it boggles the mind that, given at least a decade and a half since these trials began, he hasn’t been able to publish any meaningful data thus far”
“That he hasn’t been able to do so is also a big red flag”
—————————————————————— [5] – 8/21/2013 – That Gorski has NOT been able to prove that the 4 Burzynski publications I refer to are NOT “meaningful data” is a big red flag
====================================== [6] – 6/4/2013 – “It’s a theme that is repeated throughout the report but that ignores the astounding level of sheer deception that goes on at the Burzynski Clinic, the allegations of overfilling, and how Burzynski has abused the clinical trial process to keep treating patients with antineoplastons without actually having to do the science that any other doctor would be required to do to validate a new treatment”
—————————————————————— [7] – 6/23/2013 – This is the 1st time I’ve seen Gorski allege “overfilling,” and I sure have NOT seen him provide any proof of that or that Burzynski is NOT doing “the science that any other doctor would be required to do to validate a new treatment”
If anyone is being “deceptive,” it seems to be Gorski
====================================== [6] – 6/4/2013 – Dr. Elloise Garside, a research scientists, echoes a lot of the questions I have, such as how Burzynski never explains which genes are targeted by antineoplastons, … “
—————————————————————— [8] – 8/7/2013 – Gorski has NO response for where I list where Burzynski “explains which genes are targeted by antineoplastons”
====================================== [6] – 6/4/2013 – ” … what the preclinical evidence supporting their efficacy are … “
—————————————————————— [9] – 3/16/2013 – Gorski does NOT mention where he’s reviewed “the preclinical evidence supporting their efficacy”
====================================== [6] – 6/4/2013 – ” … or what the scientific rationale is to expect that they might have antitumor activity”
—————————————————————— [10] – 8/8/2013 – Gorski reviewed “Burzynski: Cancer Is Serious Business” (Part I), but acts as if Dvorit D. Samid was NOT mentioned, and that he is NOT aware that the BurzynskiMovie website contains supporting documentation
I can’t let such statements go unchallenged
It means NadaZeroZip
====================================== [6] – 6/4/2013 – “In science, all that matters is what you publish, and Burzynski hasn’t published anything other than case reports, tiny case series, and unconvincing studies, mostly (at least over the last decade or so) in crappy journals not even indexed on PubMed”
—————————————————————— [5] – 8/21/2013 – I remain unimpressed that Gorski has NOT written a review of Burzynski’s 2003-2010 phase II clinical trial preliminary reports
====================================== [6] – 6/4/2013 – “Without a doubt, the most effective part of the story is the segment in which Dr. Jeanine Graf of the Texas Children’s Hospital is introduced”
“Dr. Graf is the director of the pediatric intensive care unit there and has taken care of lots of Burzynski patients, as her hospital is “just down the road” from the Burzynski Clinic and these unfortunate children are brought to her hospital when they decompensate”
“Indeed, coupled with this segment is an interlude where Luna Petagine’s mother complains that the staff there know and recognize Burzynski patients (and, she notes, hate the Burzynski Clinic)”
“Particularly damning is how Ms. Petagine said that the Texas Children’s Hospital Staff “were always cleaning up Burzynski’s messes.””
“Luna was brought to the Texas Children’s Hospital during her time in Houston, and the staff there recognized right away that she was a Burzynski patient because they had seen so many similar patients suffering the same complications before”
“It was also clear how much contempt the staff there had for the Burzynski Clinic”
“If there’s one thing Panorama did right in this report, it’s showing how seeing so many already dying children show up in our ICU because of hypernatremia due to antineoplaston therapy will do that”
“Perhaps the most devastating part of this segment was seeing Dr. Graf stating, point blank, that she’s never seen a Burzynski patient survive”
“True, she does point out that patients don’t come to her until they are in extremis, but the fact remains that she’s never seen any of them live”
—————————————————————— [11] – 4/24/2013 – What is so ridiculous about this is that Richard Bilton wanted numbers from Burzynski, but then when it came to this part of the documentary, he somehow forgets how to ask how many patients this applies to, and Gorski compounds this by trying to blame hypernatremia on antineoplaston therapy, but he refuses to explain how it is that in this Division of Internal Medicine / Department of General Internal Medicine, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA, cancer study, over a 3 month period in 2006 re 3,446 patients, most of the HYPERNATREMIA (90 %) was acquired during hospital stay, and these patients were NOT on antineoplaston therapy
Arrogance, dismissiveness, and condescension make him his own worst enemy
====================================== [6] – 6/4/2013 – “Burzynski also pulls out the old trope that, if the FDA has been letting him use antineoplastons for 20 years in clinical trials if they weren’t safe and potentially effective, that the FDA wouldn’t let him “sell hope without evidence.””
“(Those of us following Burzynski for a while know, unfortunately, that that isn’t necessarily true.)”
—————————————————————— [12] – 4/25/2013 – “The FDA’s Drug Review Process: Ensuring Drugs Are Safe and Effective” advises:
“[T]he emphasis in Phase 2 is on EFFECTIVENESS”
“Phase 3 studies begin if EVIDENCE of EFFECTIVENESS is shown in Phase 2″
The FDA has approved Burzynski’s phase 3 clinical trials, which means that antineoplastons have shown evidence of effectiveness, whether Gorski likes it or NOT
====================================== [6] – 6/4/2013 – ” … he goes on to repeat the same refrain he’s been repeating for the last decade or so about how he’s on the verge of publishing all the results that will convince everyone”
“One notes that we’re still waiting”
—————————————————————— [13] – 7/25/2013 – Gorski provides NO citation to support his statement, and, he did a review of “Burzynski: Cancer Is Serious Business, Part II,” but conveniently does NOT comment in his review about the refusal e-mail shown in the film, and its suspect content
====================================== [6] – 6/4/2013 – “Burzynski needs to publish, but I highly doubt that he will, at least not in a form that is informative to real oncologists”
—————————————————————— [5] – 8/21/2013 – I’m waiting for Gorski to prove that the 4 Burzynski publications I refer to are “NOT in a form that is informative to real oncologists”
Why don’t YOU cite a phase 2 clinical trial final publication that has substantially more data fields than the 4 publications I mention ?
====================================== [4] – 6/3/2013 – “I refer you to the link for my discussion of many of the problems with the movie”
“Here I will concentrate mainly on issues that I haven’t discussed before, because actually seeing Burzynski II was a revelation”
“(Yes, I put that sentence there on purpose, Eric Merola; quote mine it if you have the cojones)”
—————————————————————— [3] – 7/18/2013 – Gorski, don’t wait for Eric Merola to quote you
I’ve quoted you
Now let’s see if YOU have the cajones
MY review of your “review” should be a revelation to YOU
====================================== [4] – 6/3/2013 – “I’m referring to Chris Onuekwusi, a man who was diagnosed with stage I colon cancer”
“Instead of undergoing straightforward surgery that we know to have a high probability of success (which, I’ll also point out, can be done these days through minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques), Onuekwusi balked, as described in more detail than in the movie in this article on the Burzynski Patient Group website”
“He had even gone for a second opinion at one of the leading cancer centers in the world, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, where the surgeon told him the same thing”
“He needed surgery first”
—————————————————————— [3] – 7/18/2013 – Mr. Onuekwusi did NOT want surgery
====================================== [4] – 6/3/2013 – “So what did Burzynski recommend instead of surgery?”
“He recommended a cocktail of three drugs given off-label:”
“Zolinza, Xeloda, and Avastin”
“Zolinza is vorinostat, a histone deacetylase inhibitor; Xeloda is capecitabine, which is a prodrug for 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a pyrimidine analog that inhibits the enzyme thymidylate synthetase and thereby inhibits DNA synthesis to toxic effect in rapidly dividing cells; and Avastin is bevacizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A)”
“As I described in a previous post about Burzynski’s “personalized, gene-targeted cancer therapy,” apparently Burzynski sent Onuekwusi’s tumor to Caris for testing”
====================================== [14] – 3/2010 – Burzynski advised that a blood or pathology specimen can be used for testing, and that results from a blood test can be obtained within 2 days, and used and refined by a pathology specimen within 2 to 3 weeks
====================================== [4] – 6/3/2013 – “Caris generated a report, as it always does, and Burzynski came up with a witches’ brew of new expensive targeted agents, all said to be “off-label.””
====================================== [15] – 5/17/2011 – Well, not exactly
Burzynski made it clear in part 2 of this interview that there is constant searches of medical literature (phase 2 and phase 3 publications) to research the medications to be used based on the cancer genes involved, and that they have worked on software so oncologists can use it to choose the best medications instead of reinventing the wheel and having to review the medical literature again
So, he does NOT come up with a “witches’ brew”
====================================== [4] – 6/3/2013 – “One of these drugs is just an old chemotherapy drug in a new form”
“Xeloda is, in essence, 5-FU, a chemotherapeutic drug that has been used to treat colorectal cancer, both as adjuvant chemotherapy and first-line therapy for metastatic disease, for over 40 years”
“There’s nothing really “targeted” about the drug except that it inhibits an enzyme, the way that many drugs do and have been known to do for decades”
“The advantage of Xeloda is that it can be administered orally, which is a good thing”
====================================== [16] – What Gorski fails to mention is that Xeloda (Capecitabine) is approved to be used alone or with other drugs to treat:
Stage III colon cancer in patients who have had surgery to remove cancer
May also apply to unapproved uses being studied
—————————————————————— [17] – fluoropyrimidine carbamate belonging to class of antineoplastic agents called antimetabolites
As prodrug, capecitabine is selectively activated by tumor cells to cytotoxic moiety, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU); subsequently, 5-FU is metabolized to 2 active metabolites, 5-fluoro-2-deoxyuridine monophosphate (FdUMP) and 5-fluorouridine triphosphate (FUTP) by tumor cells and normal cells
FdUMP inhibits DNA synthesis and cell division by reducing normal thymidine production, while FUTP inhibits RNA and protein synthesis by competing with uridine triphosphate for incorporation into RNA strand
====================================== [4] – 6/3/2013 – “Similarly, Avastin, although relatively new, is also commonly used for colorectal cancer, albeit usually for metastatic disease and not as adjuvant chemotherapy”
====================================== [18] – What Gorski fails to mention is that Avastin (Bevacizumab) is approved to be used alone or with other drugs to treat:
Colorectal cancer that has metastasized (spread to other parts of body)
May also apply to unapproved uses being studied
—————————————————————— [19] – A recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody directed against the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a pro-angiogenic cytokine
Bevacizumab binds to VEGF and inhibits VEGF receptor binding, thereby preventing the growth and maintenance of tumor blood vessels
====================================== [4] – 6/3/2013 – “That leaves Zolinza, which is an HDAC inhibitor used to treat cutaneous T cell lymphoma”
====================================== [20] – What Gorski fails to mention is that Zolinza (Vorinostat) is a histone deacetylase inhibitor, approved for treatment of cutaneous manifestations of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) in patients with progressive, persistent, or recurrent disease
May also apply to unapproved uses being studied
—————————————————————— [21] – A synthetic hydroxamic acid derivative with antineoplastic activity
Vorinostat, a 2nd generation polar-planar compound, binds to catalytic domain of histone deacetylases (HDACs)
Allows hydroxamic moiety to chelate zinc ion located in catalytic pockets of HDAC, thereby inhibiting deacetylation and leading to accumulation of both hyperacetylated histones and transcription factors
Hyperacetylation of histone proteins results in upregulation of cyclin-dependant kinase p21, followed by G1 arrest
Hyperacetylation of non-histone proteins such as tumor suppressor p53, alpha tubulin, and heat-shock protein 90 produces additional anti-proliferative effects
Agent induces apoptosis and sensitizes tumor cells to cell death processes
Vorinostat crosses blood-brain barrier
====================================== [4] – 6/3/2013 – “One wonders if Burzynski included a second HDAC inhibitor, his second favorite drug after antineoplastons, sodium phenylbutyrate”
====================================== [22] – 11/19/2012 – Gorski, if you had done “exhaustive research” on Burzynski and “Gene-Targeted Cancer Therapy,” you would have viewed this @youtube video:
Texas Med. Bd. v. Dr. Burzynski – Gene-Targeted Cancer Therapy – Case Dismissed 11/19/2012
BurzynskiMovie
and you would have heard Mr. Onuekwusi say at 3:45, that he took phenylbutyrate (PB)
====================================== [4] – 6/3/2013 – “So, by Merola’s own description, what Burzynski did was to administer a toxic form of treatment that was probably not needed (chemotherapy) using drugs that were not approved for that indication, and apparently didn’t insist that the patient needed surgery”
====================================== [23] – 12/13/2012 – Gorski publishes so much garbage that he may have forgotten his article where he posted:
“Then, there is also this video, produced by the Burzynski clinic itself:”
“At around the three minute mark, the announcer states:”
“We combine gene-targeting drugs and low dose chemo, if needed”
====================================== [4] – 6/3/2013 – “Now, it’s possible that the combination of drugs did eliminate the tumor”
====================================== Gorski, do you think that’s because as mentioned in [15], above, Burzynski would review publications like this ?
[24] – 8/23/2011 – A randomized, phase III trial of capecitabine [Xeloda] plus bevacizumab [Avastin] (Cape-Bev) versus capecitabine plus irinotecan plus bevacizumab (CAPIRI-Bev) in first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer: the AIO KRK 0110 trial/ML22011 trial [1st-line treatment of patients with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC)]
—————————————————————— [25] – 11/2/2010 – Vorinostat [Zolinza] synergises with capecitabine [Xeloda] through upregulation of thymidine phosphorylase
—————————————————————— [26] – 4/2012 – Phase I–II study of vorinostat [Zolinza] plus paclitaxel and bevacizumab [Avastin] in metastatic breast cancer: evidence for vorinostat-induced tubulin acetylation and Hsp90 inhibition in vivo
—————————————————————— [4] – 6/3/2013 – “In my opinion, Burzynski deserves to have his medical license taken away on the basis of how he treated Chris Onuekwusi alone, not even considering all the other dubious things he’s done”
====================================== [27] – 8/27/2013 – In my opinion, Gorski deserves to have his medical license taken away on the basis of how he has misinformed, disinformed, and lied about Burzynski, not even considering all the other dubious things he’s done
====================================== [4] – 6/3/2013 – “All I can say is that Merola and Burzynski must not have searched very hard, because I quickly found a few … “
“Truly, Merola’s “exhaustive” research skills need some upgrading”
“It took me two minutes to find those articles”
====================================== [22] – 11/19/2012 – All I can say is that Gorski must NOT have searched very hard, because I quickly found this @youtube video about Dr. Burzynski – Gene-Targeted Cancer Therapy, which includes a segment on Burzynski’s cancer gene testing at 2:45
Truly, Gorski’s “exhaustive” research skills need some upgrading, since nowhere does it indicate that Burzynski was involved with doing Merola’s research
It took me 2 minutes to find this out
Seeing is believing?
To me seeing is knowing just how intellectually dishonest David Gorski is
====================================== [4] – 6/3/2013 – Seeing The Skeptics
“Particularly seemingly damning are a series of Tweets flashed on the screen saying things like the Hope for Laura fund (the fund set up by Laura Hymas to pay for her treatment at the Burzynski Clinic) “appears to be just a money laundry for a lying quack fraud” and “when Laura dies #Burzynski will just move on to his next mark if she doesn’t run out of money first.””
“I think I know whose Tweets these were”
“In fact, I’m sure I know whose Tweets these were, and all I can say to that person is this:”
“Zip it”
“Stop it”
“Put a sock in it”
“In fact, if I’m correct about whose Tweets these are I think I have already done so on Twitter when I’ve seen this person getting too close to attacking cancer patients”
“Still, as utterly insensitive and “dickish” as those Tweets were, they do not represent the majority of skeptics, but rather a few jerks”
“However, we as skeptics need to remember that a few jerks perceived (or painted) as attacking cancer patients can do immeasurable damage to the cause of science-based medicine”
“So if you’re one of those skeptics making comments like that, knock it off”
“If I see you doing it again, next time I will call you out publicly”
====================================== [28] – 2/19/2013 – Like this ?
——————————————————————
Of course it's always possible that the money launderers are appearing as themselves in the #Burzynski advertisement.
——————————————————————
And this ?
——————————————————————
BurzynskiSaves (@BurzynskiSaves) tweeted at 7:42pm – 25 Dec 11:
“@RatbagsDotCom:They will be even more vulnerable when Laura dies and #Burzynski forgets her and moves on to the next mark” #unconscionable https://twitter.com/BurzynskiSaves/status/151115741888909312
—————————————————————— [29] – 8/1/2013 – And like you called this guy out ?
——————————————————————
David James (@StortSkeptic) tweeted at 7:08pm – 1 Aug 13:
The new Doctor Who will be Stanislaw #Burzynski. He manages to continually avoid getting cornered and he gets away with murder.
The new Doctor Who will be Stanislaw #Burzynski. He manages to continually avoid getting cornered and he gets away with murder.
====================================== [4] – 6/3/2013 – “Then, there was the kicker”
“Eric Merola and Laura Hymas’ fiancé Ben Hymas called me a liar”
“Ben Hymas is quite mistaken in saying about me,”
““He’s lying to them.””
“Moreover, if I had screwed up, I would have admitted it”
“Indeed, part of the reason I looked into this so closely was because I wondered if somehow Merola had actually found a mistake I had made”
“You know the saying about the proverbial blind squirrel occasionally managing to find a nut?”
“It’s possible, albeit unlikely, and in fact there was no mistake”
“There is nothing in deceptive to change my assessment of what happened in the case of or my opinion of Eric Merola”
====================================== [3] – 7/18/2013 – As I said before, Gorski’s research skills leave much to be desired
Gorski is a hack and is only funny by accident because he has no filters
If anything, having seen his “review” of Burzynski II, my opinion of Gorski has plummeted even further, something I had thought possible
Gorski, so you got lucky like a blind squirrel and found an error
However, this does NOT change the fact that you’ve been proven to be a liar
Do you want me to subtract one of your lies from the tally ?
====================================== [30] – 5/9/2013 – “On what basis is he “targeting” his therapy?”
“As I’ve recounted before, Burzynski usually sends off blood and tissue samples to Caris for testing”
“The Caris Target Now™ test, which since my discussion of Burzynski’s “personalized therapy” appears to have been renamed Caris Molecular Intelligence and is now available at more levels of service (although its reports look much the same to me), is nothing unique to the Burzynski Clinic”
“Anyone who is willing to pay for it can have it, and the report will be the same”
“In any event, there is as yet no convincing evidence that the Caris tests (or any of the other competing tests) result in better outcomes”
====================================== [31] – 5/28/2013 – A key pillar of Gorski’s position on Burzynski’s “personalized gene-targeted cancer therapy” is that he alleges that he is “someone relatively knowledgeable about the state of personalized cancer therapy”
I can’t help but wonder why it is that he did NOT know the above information
Maybe he isn’t as knowledgeable about personalized cancer therapy and targeted therapies as he claims
(Oh, wait. He isn’t!)
That’s why when he wrote his “review” on Sheila Herron, he did NOT even refer to Burzynski’s publication:
—————————————————————— [32] – 8/2011 – Successful Treatment of Recurrent Triple-Negative Breast Cancer with Combination of Targeted Therapies
When it comes to Gorski’s “story writing” pal Robert J. “Bob” Blaskiewicz, I might allow for some leeway since he’s only a “Perfessor,” but with Gorski on the other hand, I’m not nearly so benevolent
In my ever-Insolent opinion, he and his propagandist are cynically using patients like human shields to deflect criticism
Activities I cannot countenance
====================================== [33] – 4/19/2013 – “I now think I probably know with around 95% certainty) and Didymus Judas Thomas (whose identity I’m probably about 75% sure of … also obsessively read anything posted about Eric Merola or Stanislaw Burzynski on any social media”
====================================== [34] – 4/19/2013 – Gorski has had over 4 months to say who he thinks I supposedly am, and so far he’s been a failure
But then again, as could be expected, he was wrong about his 2nd theory as well
Finally, I believe that people like Gorski are hypocrites, feeling free to paint Burzynski to their heart’s content (from what I’ve read about Burzynski on blogs, Twitterarticles, and elsewhere, posted by biased, disingenuous, “holier than thou” Skeptics, in them Burzynski is all but portrayed as Satan Incarnate) but running like whipped puppies to the Coward section when either they or Gorski are criticized, no matter how civil, reasonable, or science-based that criticism is (and my blog is all of the above)
The reason is, of course, clear
Having no convincing science, no convincing medicine, and no convincing evidence to support their hero’s antineoplastons hackery or “personalized MUD-targeted therapy for dummies,” they resort to Twitter thuggery
Same as it ever was
One more thing:
If Gorski and his crew of sycophants, toadies, and lackeys are offended by my opinion, my characterization of them that I have based on analyses of claims and observation of the behavior of them and their propagandist, they should try something different to shut me up
I have just the thing, too
Publishing the results of some of the responses to my blog for the scientific community comes to mind first
If Gorski really has the goods, as he and “The Skeptics” claim, then he can best shut me up by bringing the science—solid, convincing science, that is
I’ve said it before many times, and I’ll say it again:
I can be convinced by strong truthful and factual evidence
I have yet to see anything resembling strong evidence from Gorski
At least, if he has such evidence he hasn’t published it yet, preferring to publish a mixture of whiny blog articles where he takes a swipe at Burzynski, tiny-mind series, unimpressive basic science, and the like in bottom-feeding blog articles, some of which aren’t even indexed in PubMed
Nor is a conspiracy of cowardice—excuse me, “The Skeptics”—the reason why trying to ignore criticism will boomerang on “The Skeptics”
It’s all because of their own behavior and willingness to distort, misinform, and slime Burzynski
====================================== [35] – 1/14/2013 – “As you might recall, antineoplastons are chemicals that Burzynski found in the urine of cancer patients and that (or so he claims)”
====================================== [36] – 2/19/2013 – Seriously, Gorski ?
Where did you come up with that ?
After comparing the blood of healthy people to the blood of people with cancer, Dr. Burzynski found that people with cancer have lower amounts of a certain group of chemicals
====================================== [35] – 1/14/2013 – “None of this would have been too bad if only he had actually bothered to do the proper science and clinical trials to demonstrate that antineoplastons (1) have significant anti-cancer activity and (2) have acceptable levels of toxicity”
====================================== [10] – 8/8/2013 – Here’s (1)
—————————————————————— [37] – 2/19/2013 – And (2)
====================================== [35] – 1/14/2013 – “Oh, sure, he has a bunch of clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov, but virtually all of them are listed as having “unknown” status, and it’s unclear whether most, if any, of them are actually accruing”
====================================== [38] – 5/21/2011 – Cancer Breakthrough: 50-60% Success Rate, Cures the Incurable
May 21, 2011
12 phase 2 clinical trials have been successfully completed under supervision of FDA, and now conducting 3 phase 3 clinical trials
Or I can cite from Burzynski’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings re his phase 2 clinical trials like you did [1] – 6/5/2013
====================================== [35] – 1/14/2013 – “In any case, Merola named the sequel what he named it … along with a website full of a “sourced transcript” to be used by Burzynski minions and shills everywhere to attack any skeptic who dares to speak out”
====================================== [39] – Gorski, you should have used the “sourced transcript” so you didn’t end up embarrassing yourself as much as you have
Actually, no one who is an apologist for Dr. Gorski, a.k.a. “Orac,” who over years ago unleashed MUD-targeted therapy on unsuspecting cancer patients, much likes Burzynski
It’s not surprising
Basically, Gorski’s a hack
—————————————————————— [40] – Or, you can use this – Burzynski: The Movie — Illustrated Screenplay and Screencap Gallery (Nader Library):
====================================== [35] – 1/14/2013 – “Part of the reason that Eric Merola doesn’t like me, aside from the fact that I am willing to help publicize Bob Blaskiewicz’s present to Dr. Burzynski for his 70th birthday on January 23, is that I think that every so often I happen to run into stories about the bad science and unethical nature of Burzynski’s work, and I blog about it”
====================================== [41] – 3/26/2013 – Maybe Eric does NOT like you because part of that “present” was your “pal” saying:
“The Burzynski clinic is a place you go to die”
—————————————————————— [42] – 8/24/2013 – Gorski, where were you when these 374 children died of brain cancer in #ScienceBasedMedicine clinical trials ?
====================================== [35] – 1/14/2013 – “I also run into patient stories”
“Although I don’t cover them as systematically as Bob does, I like to think that what I lack in comprehensiveness of coverage I make up for with my in-depth knowledge of cancer science and treatment”
====================================== [43] – 8/31/2013 – Your “in-depth knowledge of cancer science and treatment” ?
You sure have NOT presented a very strong case for that
Is your “man-crush”, Robert J. “Bob” Blaskiewicz still adding false statements to his “stories” ?
====================================== [35] – 1/14/2013 – “There are a number of things about this documentary that one can learn if one is involved in caner care and knowledgeable about Stanislaw Burzynski”
“Indeed, he’s even taken credit for pioneering the concept of personalized cancer therapy based on genes and the concept that cancer is a genetic disease, claiming to have published a journal article about it 20 years ago, allegedly long before conventional scientists and oncologists even thought of it”
“The problem, of course, is that, as far as I can tell, he published no such paper and personalized therapy is a concept older than 20 years”
====================================== [44] – 7/26/2013 – Indeed, from my perspective Gorski’s an egomaniac, full of the arrogance of ignorance about things like Burzynski’s “personalized cancer therapy”, prone to contemptuously dismissing anyone who has the temerity to question the Great and Powerful “Orac” is god
Because I was able to find the publication with NO problem
“Orac’s” Oracolytes remind me of the “believer” who said:
“god said it, and I believe it, so that settles it”
Of course, “Orac” is Oz tends to clam up when questioned by people who are NOT likely to be sycophants, toadies, and lackeys
====================================== [35] – 1/14/2013 – “Given that these are all phase II studies, it’s hard to believe that the FDA would allow Burzynski to keep them open over 13 years, but apparently it has”
====================================== [45] – 7/26/2013 – Gorski, why don’t you ask the FDA?
3/29/1996 Then United States Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, David Kessler told the American people:
“The … FDA’s initiatives … will allow …the agency … to rely on smaller trials … fewer patients … if there is evidence … of partial response in clinical trials”
—————————————————————— [46] – 6/7/2013 – Then you could be like Blatherskitewicz and do this:
Bob Blaskiewicz (@rjblaskiewicz)
6/3/13, 3:49 PM
@FauxSkeptic @bbc5live I believe he said, “Put up or shut up, you little bitch.” Something like that.
rjblaskiewicz: @bbc5live “I believe he said
“Put up or shut up
you little bitch”
BB: why not check with the @US_FDA
#Burzynski
BBC Panorama
====================================== [35] – 1/14/2013 – “Finally, why doesn’t Burzynski offer Seán his “personalized gene-targeted cancer therapy.””
“It probably wouldn’t be that big a deal to get the blocks of tissue from Seán’s biopsy and have them analyzed”
“Yes, inquiring minds do want to know”
====================================== [35] – 1/14/2013 – Gorski, why don’t you cite the applicable phase 2 and / or phase 3 clinical trial publications of FDA approved drugs for “inoperable brainstem glioma” ?
And while your at it, is the “girl from England” referred to in your article, the same one that is referred to in Burzynski 2 ?
====================================== [47] – 1/7/2013 – “That’s why I’m joining P.Z. Myers in asking you to help make Stanislaw Burzynski pay cold hard cash to a worthy cause
====================================== [41] – 3/26/2013 – Yes Gorski, your “pal” E.Z. P.Z. who wrote:
“The Burzynski clinic is a place you go to die”
He has no shame
But at least ya’ll raised money for a worthy cause while at the same time bringing attention to yourself and what I consider to be your incredibly unethical behavior
====================================== [23] – 12/13/2012 – “In fact, from my perspective, it appears to me as though over the last few years Dr. Burzynski has pivoted”
“No longer are antineoplastons the center of attention at his clinic”
“Rather, these days, he appears to be selling something that he calls “personalized gene-targeted cancer therapy.””
====================================== [48] – 4/26/2013 – Gorski it’s great to see you’ve been paying attention
” … in 1997, his medical practice was expanded to include traditional cancer treatment options such as
chemotherapy,
gene targeted therapy,
immunotherapy and
hormonal therapy
in response to FDA requirements that cancer patients utilize more traditional cancer treatment options in order to be eligible to participate in the Company’s antineoplaston clinical trials”
====================================== [23] – 12/13/2012 – “Finally, around the 4:30 mark, we see Dr. Gregory Burzynski, Dr. Burzynski’s son, talking about genomic profiling of cancers and biomarkers in the blood and in circulating tumor cells. … plus a claim that surgery will no longer be necessary for surgery, what’s left over doesn’t sound too different from what quite a few “conventional” cancer researchers say about “personalized medicine.””
====================================== [23] – 12/13/2012 – Gorski, “surgery will no longer be necessary for surgery” ?
Is this “attention to detail”” related to:
“because of the positions I hold at an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center” ?
====================================== [23] – 12/13/2012 – “Clearly, the producer went to great lengths to make Burzynski’s lab look like any other molecular and cell biology lab–even like my lab”
====================================== [23] – 12/13/2012 – Gorski, are you trying to suggest that the producer rented or bought equipment to produce this look ?
Do you know how ridiculous that sounds ?
====================================== [23] – 12/13/2012 – “When we do this we have a very good chance to have positive results in most patients”
“SS: How many respond?”
“SB: About 85 per cent for whom we have the proper gene signature; about 15 percent do not respond”
“In our responders many of them have tumors which disappear completely and in others the tumors remain small”
“The problem is finding the genetic signature because for many of these different genetic signatures we don’t have blood tests…yet”
“Note that at the time this book was published, Dr. Burzynski was claiming that he could identify who would benefit from specific targeted therapies simply from blood tests”
“If he could do this for real, Burzynski could easily publish in high impact journals like Clinical Cancer Research, the Journal of Clinical Oncology, or another high impact clinical cancer journal”
“Heck, a result like that could probably make it into general medical journals, such as the New England Journal of Medicine or The Lancet, which have an even higher impact factor”
“If he were able to demonstrate that his method of testing tumors and picking targeted therapy could result in a complete response rate anywhere near 85% for breast cancer, even more so”
“If, as he claims later in the chapter, Dr. Burzynski has patients with pancreatic cancer and advanced liver cancer whose tumors have disappeared within two months after he began treatment, the same would be true”
“If, as Burzynski claims, he achieves a 50% complete response rate in advanced brain tumors, again, the same would be true”
“He doesn’t submit his results to these journals”
“Why not?”
====================================== [3] – 7/18/2013 – Gorski, why would Burzynski want to publish in The Lancet when you saw the lame excuse they gave in Burzynski 2 for NOT publishing Burzynski’s results; which YOU have refused to address ?
Maybe you could find out if you visited the Burzynski Clinic
Oh, wait
You’ve said that people do NOT need to go to the Clinic to learn things
====================================== [23] – 12/13/2012 – “Gene-targeted cancer therapy is currently in its infancy and, except in rare situations outside of the existing currently validated biomarkers (such as HER2, ER, c-kit, and other genes for which targeted therapies exist) for the response of specific cancers, is not to be undertaken outside of the context of a clinical trial“
====================================== [23] – 12/13/2012 – Gorski, that’s all well and good for you to write, but you provide NO citation, reference, or link in support of your statement, and you’ve proven that what you post can NOT be trusted
Try again
====================================== [23] – 12/13/2012 – “Before discussing how the Burzynski Clinic does personalized cancer therapy, I think it’s worth looking at how real scientists do it right now”
====================================== [23] – 12/13/2012 – Gorski, what are you implying ?
That Burzynski is NOT a “real scientist” ?
Because you stated:
“From the description above, it sounded very much to me as though Dr. Burzynski is combining various targeted agents with metronomic chemotherapy“
“I know a thing or two about metronomic chemotherapy, because I was involved in a project whose end result was to be the testing of metronomic chemotherapy against cancer and because the concept is a spinoff of the work of one of my scientific heros, the late Judah Folkman”
“Whether this is what Dr. Burzynski is doing or not with the chemotherapy part of his approach, I don’t know for sure, but it sure sounds like it“
====================================== [23] – 12/13/2012 – “Now let’s take a look at how the Burzynski Clinic does it, at least as far as I can figure out from my various sources and from Ms. Trimble”
“In response to my query about personalized gene-targeted therapy offered by the Burzynski Clinic, Ms. Trimble stated that a gene expression analysis is performed, as well as mutational analysis, FISH, immunohistochemistry for selected genes and that a blood test is also performed to measure the “concentration of proteins which are products of most important oncogenes.””
“In addition, drugs are supposedly selected based on the patient’s clinical information, standard of care, FDA indication, data from phase II and III clinical trials“
====================================== [4] – 6/3/2013 – Gee Gorski
In your 6/3/2013 article you act as if you did NOT know this
====================================== [23] – 12/13/2012 – “To support this claim, Ms. Trimble also sent me two papers from the Burzynski Clinic, both of which appeared in a journal I had never heard of before, the Journal of Cancer Therapy, which is clearly not indexed on PubMed because these papers never showed up when I searched PubMed for Burzynski”
“One described Burzynski’s approach for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC)”
====================================== [32] – 8/2011 – Gorski, why am I NOT surprised that you’re able to refer to this TNBC publication 12/13/2012, but when reviewing Sheila Herron’s TNBC case 5/28/2013, you completely ignored this publication, even though it specifically states:
“Here we report the successful treatment of metastatic TNBC with combination targeted therapy, and we discuss MDT for a group of 16 women including this patient, whose treatment was based on the same principle” (Pgs. 372-373)
How do you NOT provide a link to a previous article you wrote on the same subject, like you normally do ?
====================================== [23] – 12/13/2012 – “It turns out that perhaps the best description of what “personalized” treatment means in Dr. Burzynski’s hands comes from the Texas Medical Board’s complaint against him, which can be found in over at the Ministry of Truth or at Casewatch”
“This complaint is based on the cases of two patients”
“First, here’s Patient A, who is described in the complaint thusly:”
“1. Patient A:”
“a. In approximately May of 2008, Patient A presented to Respondent with breast cancer that had metastasized to her brain, lung, and liver”
“b. Respondent prescribed a combination of five immunotherapy agents – phenylbutyrate, erlotinib, dasatinib, vorinostat, and sorafenib-which are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) for the treatment of breast cancer, and which do not meet the FDA’s regulations for the use of off-label drugs in breast cancer therapy”
“c. In combination with the five immunotherapy agents, Patient A was prescribed capecitabine, a chemotherapy agent”
“This is what’s known as “throwing everything but the kitchen sink” at the tumor without any thought of interactions, as most of these agents have no proven role in the treatment of breast cancer”
“For example, erlotinib (brand name: Tarceva) is used to treat pancreatic cancer and non-small cell lung cancer”
“It works by inhibiting the tyrosine kinase of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and is not FDA-approved for breast cancer”
“However, it’s not unreasonable to think that it could work in breast cancer, as EGFR is believed to be important in some breast cancers, which is why this is an area of active research”
“Dasatinib (trade name: Sprycel) is also a kinase inhibitor”
“It inhibits the Src family tyrosine kinase”
“Vorinostat is a histone deacetylase inhibitor approved for use against cutaneous T-cell lymphoma”
“Finally, Sorafenib is another tyrosine kinase inhibitor that inhibits the tyrosine kinases of different receptors, as well as raf kinases”
“The big problem with this sort of approach is that the more drugs you add, no matter how “targeted” they are, the more chance for interactions that increase toxicity, and throwing all these kinase inhibitors together in a cocktail with chemotherapy is a recipe for disaster, particularly because such cocktails haven’t been tested in proper phase I clinical trials to evaluate toxicity”
====================================== Gorski, you make it sound like you reviewed the medical literature and found NO phase I clinical trials were conducted, or NO combinations of some of these drugs were tested
But you do NOT reveal your research
I’m guessing you reviewed these pre 5/2008 publications, right ?
—————————————————————— [49] – 4/20/2007 – Phase III study:erlotinib in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer
—————————————————————— [50] – 5/2007 – randomized phase II study: sorafenib/erlotinib – advanced non-small-cell lung cancer
—————————————————————— [51] – 4/20/2006 – Phase II study: capecitabine and erlotinib
—————————————————————— [52] – 1/2008 – Phase II Clinical Trial: Sorafenib
—————————————————————— [53] – 4/2007 – Antitumor Activity: Sorafenib – 4 Phase I Trials: Advanced Refractory Solid Tumors
—————————————————————— [54] – 6/20/2007 – phase I study: vorinostat (VOR) in combination with capecitabine (CAP) – advanced solid tumors
====================================== [23] – 12/13/2012 – “In any case, as we have seen, Dr. Burzynski does give chemotherapy”
“Lots of chemotherapy”
====================================== [23] – 12/13/2012 – Gorski, what was the date of the video you quoted above, about low-dose chemotherapy ?
====================================== [23] – 12/13/2012 – “Instead, skirting the line between science and pseudoscience, Dr. Burzynski gives every appearance of recklessly throwing together untested combinations of targeted agents willy-nilly to see if any of them stick but without having a systematic plan to determine when or if he has successfully matched therapy to genetic abnormality”
====================================== [15] – 5/17/2011 – That sure explains away the review of the medical literature (phase 2 and 3 clinical trials)
NOT
====================================== [55] – 12/12/2012 – “Note: Orac is away In the meantime, he is rerunning some of his favorite posts”
“Given that the blog seems to have been infiltrated with Burzynski trolls again now seems a perfect time to rerun a post of Orac’s from about a year ago”
====================================== [55] – 12/12/2012 – “Orac”, who’s the idiot who posted that “trolls” had taken over the blog, and who were these “alleged”“trolls” ?
Inquiring minds want to know
====================================== [55] – 12/12/2012 – “No one would ever confuse my reviews with those of Roger Ebert (mine tend to be a lot longer, for one thing, and concentrate on science much more than moviemaking), but I do sometimes subject myself to these movies when I can find a way to watch them online that doesn’t cost me any money”
====================================== [55] – 12/12/2012 – Gorski
“Concentrate on science” ?
really ?
Really ??
REALLY ???
Did you actually count how many characters and / or words you devoted to criticism instead of “science” ?
====================================== [55] – 12/12/2012 – “In the process, I might even look into a couple of Burzynski’s studies that I’ve read and found to be–well–lacking, to put it kindly”
====================================== [2] – 8/4/2013 – Gorski, why don’t you “look into” Burzynski’s 2003-2010 preliminary phase 2 clinical trial reports, and write a “review” ?
====================================== [55] – 12/12/2012 – “One part of the movie that truly insults the intelligence of anyone with a modicum of knowledge about drug therapy occurs near the beginning of the movie”
“It’s a part that, as a cancer surgeon who is interested in targeted therapies for breast cancer, I found particularly idiotic”
“First, there is a screen with this caption:”
“Antineoplastons target the specific genes that allow cancer to grow and flourish”
“A little later we see:”
“There are currently over 25 FDA-approved gene-targeted cancer drugs on the market today”
“Many of them can only target single genes”
“All of which is true but irrelevant if Burzynski is trying to sell antineoplastons as targeted therapy”
“Now here’s the kicker:”
“Antineoplastons work on close to one hundred different genes”
“You know what you call a drug that works on “close to 100 genes”?”
“I don’t know either, but you don’t call it a “targeted” therapy unless all those genes are genes affected by the single target being inhibited; i.e., are downstream targets of the gene targeted by antineoplastons”
====================================== [5] – 8/21/2013 – Gorski, how do you NOT know “the single target being inhibited … are downstream targets of the gene targeted by antineoplastons”, when you did NOT even know which of Burzynski’s publications discussed which genes are “targeted by antineoplastons” ?
====================================== [56] – 12/5/2012 – “In reality, oncologists shun Burzynski—and rightly so, given that he has yet to publish anything resembling a convincing result suggesting the efficacy of his antineoplastons against cancer”
“It’s painfully obvious from this paragraph that Burzynski doesn’t know academic oncologists”
“The reason oncologists don’t respect Burzynski is because of how he hasn’t show that his treatments work better than conventional treatments—or even that they work at all—and because of the way he abuses patients by charging them huge sums of money to participate in a clinical trial”
“Those are the reasons legitimate oncologists, at least those familiar with Burzynski, look askance at him”
“How could they do otherwise?”
“The ones who don’t take him seriously are the ones who know him best”
====================================== [57] – 4/24/2013 – Gorski, that certainly explains why this 2011 cancer study that references Burzynski:
Phase II trial of tipifarnib and radiation in children with newly diagnosed diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas
University of California—San Francisco
Children’s Hospital Boston, Massachusetts
St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, Washington
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Ohio
======================================
British Journal of Cancer (2010) 103, 1680–1691. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6605969
Published online 2 November 2010 http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v103/n11/full/6605969a.html
Experimental Pharmacology Unit, Department of Research, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, National Cancer Institute Fondazione G, Via.M Semmola, Pascale, Napoli, Italy
====================================== [26] – 4/2012
Phase I–II study of vorinostat plus paclitaxel and bevacizumab in metastatic breast cancer: evidence for vorinostat-induced tubulin acetylation and Hsp90 inhibition in vivo http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22200869/
Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2012 Apr;132(3):1063-72. doi: 10.1007/s10549-011-1928-x. Epub 2011 Dec 27 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/22200869/
Breast Cancer Res Treat. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2013 April.1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3486521/
Published in final edited form as:
Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2012 April; 132(3): 1063–1072
Didymus Judas Thomas' Hipocritical Oath Blog 