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Medical Fraud: Should You Believe Everything Experts Say?
In an episode of 60 Minutes, one of the biggest cases of medical fraud was revealed. Dr. Anil Potti, who was renowned for leading a groundbreaking cancer study at Duke University, is now facing the consequences of altering the data of his research.
As stated in 60 Minutes, Dr. Potti’s case “may end up being one of the biggest medical research frauds ever; one that deceived dying patients, the best medical journals, and a great University.”
Probably the Biggest Medical Fraud of All Time
Dr. Potti’s research, which involved 100 cancer patients, focused on finding a corresponding chemotherapy drug based on a patient’s DNA makeup. According to him, the procedure had an 80 percent chance of success. Experts hailed this as one of the biggest cancer breakthrough until two years ago, when it was proven that his discovery was a failure.
Prior to the revelation of failure, questions had already been raised regarding Dr. Potti’s study but were cleared up by a committee at the Duke University. The truth had finally surfaced when a confidential source informed the editor of The Cancer Letter to investigate Dr. Potti’s claim of being a Rhodes Scholar. From here, the truth about his study was exposed.
When Joseph Nevins, Potti’s mentor and coworker at the university, confronted Potti about being a Rhodes Scholar, he discovered that this was false. Rather, Potti was involved in a fellowship of Rhodes Scholars in Australia. Nevins reviewed Potti’s research and it was found that the results were purposefully manipulated in order to complement Potti’s theory.
Many of the subjects in Potti’s study passed away months after and now, surviving family members have filed a lawsuit. Potti answers this by saying that he “was not aware that false or ‘improper’ information had been included in the research.”
According to natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola, this may be “the real ‘Biggest Medical Fraud’ of all time.”
Other Cases Similar to that of Dr. Potti’s
Dr. Anil Potti’s research may probably be the biggest medical fraud to date, but there are many other experiments which are classified as fraud. Instead of contributing massively to society, these became harbingers of the loss of life of many people. Some of these are:
- Anesthesiologist Scott S. Reuben from Massachusetts allegedly fabricated 21 medical studies which aimed to show benefits from painkillers, including Vioxx, Celebrex, Bextra, and Lyrica. These were all published between 1996 and 2000 and encouraged doctors to use these medications for patients undergoing procedures such as knee and hip replacements.
- Autism researcher Poul Thorsen allegedly stole $1 million from the autism research fund between February 2004 and June 2008. In his defense, he claimed that he took the money during the time when he was the “principal investigator” for an autism-related study. Apart from this, he was involved with several studies used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support their claims that MMR and vaccines containing mercury are safe. Thorsen was charged with 13 counts of fraud and nine counts of money laundering last year.
- Upon the discovery that he fabricated his research findings, Boston University cancer scientist Sheng Wang was ordered to retract his works published in two journals from 2009. The more devastating fact here is that the studies of scientists from the Mayo Clinic, who used Wang’s studies as major references, became worthless.
- Dutch psychologist Dr. Diederik Stapel admitted to falsifying his experiments, as well as fabricating dozens of papers, which were published in psychology journals and were shown in the media. (link)
- Resveratrol researcher Dipak Das from the University of Connecticut was found guilty last January of 145 counts of falsification and fabrication of studies published in 11 journals. (link)
While Studies like Potti’s are Being Revered by the Public, “Real” Groundbreaking Cancer Studies are Being Suppressed
Dr. Mercola says: “Virtually the entire cancer industry is one massive fraud, in the sense that it’s not really allowing authentic and inexpensive cancer cures that address the cause of the problem to come to market.”
Mercola believes that the idea that the cancer industry is looking for a cure is a “sham” because there are already safer and less risky treatments in existence. While Potti’s study created waves of excitement, Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski developed a non-toxic, gene-targeted therapy called antineoplastons. His study, which did not include big pharmaceuticals, has been harassed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for 14 years.
Dr. Burzynski’s antineoplastons are non-toxic peptides and derivatives of amino acids that function as genetic switches. His cancer treatment involves no toxic side effects and surpasses other therapies on the market. If given the chance, this non-toxic treatment may have saved numerous lives and may have helped cure some of the most dangerous forms of cancer.
Not only will Dr. Burzynski get all the profit and glory because he is the sole owner of this new therapy, but this will also threaten the entire cancer paradigm, if his findings go mainstream. This is because the industry is built on expensive technologies and toxic drugs, which are associated with top pharmaceutical corporations.
To learn more about this, read this article on Burzynski: The Movie. In a nutshell, this movie shows the life of Dr. Burzynski and exhibits the forces that work to maintain their authority and power within the medical and pharmaceutical industry at any cost.
When Seeking Treatment, Dr. Mercola Advises…
All of these instances show that, even with backing from top experts and published studies, there are no guarantees that a cancer drug or a therapy is effective or safe. Furthermore, it does not suffice that an alternative treatment is ineffective, when it does not possess any support from top corporations or medical bodies.
Dr. Mercola advises using your own common sense and reason when consulting health experts about medical treatment options. It has been established that numerous drugs do nothing to contribute to the treatment of a disease. With this in mind, it is important to be cautious.
Dr. Mercola adds, “Remain skeptical but open — even if it is something I am saying, you simply need to realize YOU are responsible for your health, not me and certainly not drug companies trying to sell their wares.”
Dr. Mercola also recommends asking the help of a qualified natural health consultant. To find one, gather information from your local health food store. Oftentimes, when there is a knowledgeable practitioner in the area, his or her reputation will be recognized. This is especially true in the natural health community, where word travels fast, according to Dr. Mercola.
When looking for a natural health expert on cancer, you should do additional research to find one who is well-known and respected in cancer therapies. Numerous resources can be found on the internet, just in case you cannot find a health expert in your area.
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Tags: 60 minutes, cancer treatment, chemotherapy drug, dr anil potti, dr stanislaw burzynski, dr. joseph mercola, Dr. Mercola, joe mercola, joseph mercola, medical fraud, mercola
