This Major Risk Could Be More Dangerous than Cancer Itself
A cancer diagnosis can be downright terrifying.
And then, almost without pause, come rounds of treatments. And in millions of cases, it's a false alarm, a wrong diagnosis… a physically and emotionally draining event that can do terrible damage to body, mind and spirit. That's why the some of the top dogs in the cancer industry now want to change the definition of cancer… They woke up and discovered that too many people were being misdiagnosed and given treatments they don't need. Read on… Continued below...
Have we finally identified the REAL enemy
in the war on cancer?
A new report by the National Cancer Institute confirms what many of us in the alternative cancer care world have been saying for years…
The famous "war on cancer" has been targeting the wrong enemy — and you may become a victim of friendly fire. In late July, a National Cancer Institute report published by JAMA online made the shocking statement that benign or premalignant conditions should no longer be called cancer. This includes low-risk lesions like DCIS -- ductal carcinoma in situ, a breast condition we wrote about in Issue #154. We were already warning our readers back then that it was nothing to worry about. We called it "zero stage cancer" — in other words, not cancer at all HGPIN is another condition that — suddenly -- is no longer defined as cancer. HGPIN stands for high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, a prostate condition diagnosed in millions of men and then over-treated. These are normally non-invasive conditions that don't require treatment at all — let alone the aggressive treatment they're often given. They aren't the enemy after all. As readers of this newsletter know, we've often questioned the use of repeated, cancer-causing x-ray breast screenings and potentially misleading PSA tests. They cause a great deal of needless fear and painful over-treatment. And it turns out the emotional terror can do you great harm.
The War on Cancer: A bunch of hot air
This new study has grave implications, such as:
There's no doubt that the practice of oncology in the U.S. (and many other parts of the world) needs major reform.
"Treatment" can make your cancer cells
30 times more malignant
The current rash of over-diagnoses stems from the fact that these "cancers" are by and large slow-growing ones with no symptoms. They would almost never progress to harmful status if left alone and ignored. Keep in mind, the medical establishment has a motive for diagnosing phony cancers and then "curing" them (besides the money): It helps pad the statistics for survivors and survival rates. How easy it is to survive a cancer that wasn't a cancer!
In fact, it's the fast-growing tumors that are much more challenging to detect early. And this might surprise you: Even in those cases, many of them would never progress to a lethal state. What's worse… certain of these tumors are enhanced and become more malignant because of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers recently found that radiation therapy transforms breast cancer cells into highly malignant cancer cells — with 30 times higher malignancy after radiation treatments. What they found is that even when radiation kills half the tumor cells, the surviving ones become resistant to treatment. So, radiation cuts the total cancer cell population, giving the false impression that the treatment is working… when in reality it increases the percentage of highly malignant cells that can lead to treatment-induced death.1 This means it's not only possible you never had cancer in the first place, but now the treatment is causing cancer cells to proliferate inside your body. Talk about a double whammy.
Is cancer really an enemy attacking you?
Maybe our entire way of looking at cancer needs to shift from the "enemy attacking you" that requires a raging war… to something your body performs to protect you internally. I recently came across an interesting theory about that, proposed by Paul Davies, of Arizona State University, and Charles Lineweaver, Australian National University scientist.
Davies calls cancer "not a random bunch of selfish rogue cells behaving badly, but a highly-efficient pre-programmed response to stress…" In other words, cancer may be your body's response to an unhealthy cellular environment. It may be more a symptom than a disease… your body's effort to "right itself" in the context of cellular and environmental conditions gone terribly wrong. If this is true, we'll need to question the prevailing theory that cancer cells are the result of rogue mutations that can kill us — and the prevailing treatment of killing them with chemotherapy and radiation.
Worse than cancer: Crippling fear and needless treatment
for a nonexistent cancer
If you view cancer as a chaos-driven, infinitely expanding mass of cells, you'll tend to make bad choices in the panic of the moment.
NCI's panel opined: ...cancers are heterogeneous and can follow multiple paths, not all of which progress to metastases and death, and include indolent disease that causes no harm during the patient's lifetime.
That's why this proposed redefinition of cancer is no small matter. It'll affect millions of people. Every year, 60,000 American women are diagnosed with DCIS, besides men with HGPIN, and the rest of the 2 million Americans with other cancers.
The diagnosis unleashes shock and fear — which in and of itself can be a killer. Research shows that a cancer diagnosis can be as fatal as cancer itself. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine in April 2012, scientists evaluated 6 million Swedish adults regarding the psychological toll of a cancer diagnosis. After analyzing more than 500,000 cancer diagnoses, they concluded that the risk of suicide was 16 times higher, and the risk of heart-related death was 26.9 times higher — during just the first week following diagnosis — compared to people who were cancer free. Few women recover from the devastating fear and stress that follows a false-positive breast cancer diagnoses, even three years after they've learned the diagnosis was wrong and they're declared cancer-free. This finding about long-lasting damage is based on measurements of 12 psychological qualities, including a sense of dejection, anxiety, feelings of attractiveness, and negative impact on sleep, behavior, sexuality, and more. Even after being "cleared of cancer" the psychological impact was equivalent to actuallyhaving breast cancer. This finding is so shocking I can't help but think it's got to be a mistake, but that's what the researchers concluded. This is extremely likely to affect you or someone you love, considering you have a fifty-fifty chance of getting a false-positive at least once if you get a mammogram every year for ten years. One example: A woman in Texas was told she had Stage 4 terminal breast cancer, and was led down the road of chemotherapy and depression… only to learn much later that the diagnosis was wrong. She didn't have cancer in the first place. And she's not the only one, by ANY stretch. Disturbing? Yes. But this doesn't have to happen to you…
7 ways to avoid being the victim of a false positive
You may not be able to avoid being told you have cancer due to a false positive from a screening test, but you can chart your own path and spare yourself the trauma of unneeded treatments.
And it definitely helps to have thought this out beforehand. You and your loved ones have far more vested interest in your health than any medical professional you'll ever meet. So take the steps you can take, such as:
Above all, remember that you are in charge of your own health — not your doctor or your genes. Doctors make mistakes. Don't permit yourself to be rushed into anything.
|
Sunday, August 25, 2013
This could be more dangerous than cancer itself
Labels:
cancer cure treatment natural
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Bowie State Honored with Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Awards
CLEVELAND, OH - The Division II Athletics Directors Association (D2ADA) announced the 2012-13 recipients of the D2ADA Academic Achievement Awards. The Academic Achievement Awards is a program that recognizes the academic accomplishments of student-athletes at the Division II level.
A record number of institutions (169) and student-athletes (6,801) are recognized for the 2012-13 Academic Achievement Awards. Bowie State University had nine student-athletes recognized from five different athletic programs. The Bulldogs joined Chowan, Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, Saint Augustine's, Shaw and Virginia State among CIAA schools to academic achievements through D2ADA.
Representing Bowie State were Kassandra Bishop (Tennis), Cassandra Clayborne (Softball), Megan Alexander (Softball), Gregory Koepping (Football), Hayley Flint (Softball), Mariela Hernandez (Softball), Iyabode Sodipo (Tennis), Paige McIntosh (Volleyball) and Ayanna Tweedy (Track and Field).
“I would like to congratulate our nine award winners,” said Bowie State Athletic Director Anton Goff. “It is a testament to their dedication and hard work in achieving a high level of success in the classroom and on the field and court. It is also a reflection of the priority that our coaches and staff put on academics. I am extremely proud to have our student-athletes recognized in this manner.”
In order to receive an Academic Achievement Award, the student-athlete must:
· Have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale
· Have attended a minimum of two years (four semesters) of college level work
· Have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his/her last academic year
"The D2ADA would like to thank and congratulate the institutions that took part in honoring the record number of student-athletes with 2012-13 Academic Achievement Awards," stated D2ADA President Anita Barker, director of athletics at Chico State University. "We continuously strive to recognize and honor deserving Division 2 student-athletes. This award gives us the platform to showcase these individuals and their efforts in the classroom, as well as on the playing field."
The D2ADA is the first organization of its kind to provide educational and networking opportunities; enhancement of acceptable operating standards and ethics; and establishment of the overall prestige and understanding of the profession of Division 2 athletics directors. For more information about the D2ADA, please visit www.div2ada.com. The D2ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 49th year. For more information on NACDA and the 13 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.
Beware of mainstream reporting about cancer
Don't Let Mainstream Mis-reporting about Cancer Kill Your Chances of Good Health
I know I'm not the only person disappointed with the news media. It's rife with sensationalism and biased stories. Worst of all are the "journalists" who go in search of tabloid-style stories and don't bother with the details.
What happens in these cases? We end up watching biased stories that appear to be objective but aren't. I recently saw a bogus news segment on thermograms, so I want to set the record straight on how this early detection tool can save you from breast cancer despite what some know-nothing journalists may say. It could save your life. Continued below...
Mammograms versus thermograms
The news report I saw knocking thermograms was based on ONE case of a woman who received a false negative, indicating she didn't have cancer when in fact she did. The reporter then trotted out sound bites from a couple of radiologists (who make their living off of X-rays) to say that of course thermograms aren't good for much and women should stick to mammograms.
The news report didn't say a word about the terrible inaccuracy of mammograms, the countless false negatives and false positives. If we're going to condemn screening procedures for one false negative, mammograms would have been outlawed years ago. Early detection is key when it comes to any cancer, and breast cancer in particular. And it's a fact that thermograms are a safe, valuable early detection tool for breast cancer. The problem is, no single early detection tool is flawless. Mammograms are the most well-known, and they certainly detect some cancers. But they're also virtually useless when it comes to detecting tumors in the dense tissue of younger women. On top of that, mammograms can deliver false-negatives, false-positives, over-diagnosis, over-treatment, and radiation exposure. Last I checked, the false-negative rate was around 20 percent—meaning mammograms will miss one out of five breast cancer tumors. They're also virtually useless for women under age 40—and though rare, it's the younger-than-forty crowd that develops some of the most malicious strains of breast cancer.
Consider thermograms instead
Thermography is not "alternative medicine" as such. It's legal in the United States and widely used in Europe. In the U.S., conventional medicine has thrown it on the alternative medicine dust heap because it poses a threat to mammography, a huge, profitable industry with tens of thousands of people making a living off it.
The FDA approves thermography as safe but doesn't officially support it and says it's not an alternative to mammography. But given the FDA's poor track record in supporting safe, non-invasive, proven health treatments, you shouldn't let that stop you from reaping the benefits of thermography screening. If you don't know about it, thermography is a form of digital infrared imaging that's completely safe—no radiation exposure whatsoever. It's based on the concept that early tumor sites project more heat than normal breast tissue. This is because of the increased blood vessel circulation and metabolic changes that take place when a tumor first develops. A thermogram pinpoints the abnormal heat levels that cancerous and — this is important — pre-cancerous areas generate. These areas pour out excessive heat long before a mammogram or any physical examination can detect a thing. But when it comes to thermograms, the key thing is to look at changes over time. So anyone who gets a single thermogram and thinks that's the last word on their risk factor is missing out on crucial information.
The single-bullet approach
While I absolutely do think some screening tests are better than others, it riles me when a news program puts out a sensational story that paints a tool as worthless. It's like the medical industry taking a single-bullet approach to healthcare, trying to pigeon-hole illnesses into one-size-fits-all problems and solutions. Healthcare isn't that easy, and it never will be.
Here's what you have to remember. Most high-tech screening procedures are flawed in some way. Take mammograms, for instance. They're just X-ray pictures of the breast. Not only do they not work well on dense breast tissue, as mentioned, but they're subject to error. The machine can malfunction. The technician who interprets your results can screw up. Or a tumor just won't show. In a thermogram, the tumor site needs to be caught at a certain growth stage. And again, interpretation is subject to human error. The images have to be interpreted by a skilled, experienced thermographer. And as I said earlier, it's the changes seen in a series of images, taken over a period of years, that most accurately flags cancer risk. If this sounds alarming, it really isn't. The abnormally hot areas that turn up in thermograms can take many, many years to develop into cancer. Immediate treatment isn't needed. You've got time to observe how they change — and to proceed to other tests such as biopsies and mammograms if they seem warranted. Cancerous areas literally get hotter every year, and a thermogram can often see this occurring long before an X-ray could ever detect a mass. We already know one in five cancers can't be detected by mammography. Some of those cancers can be picked up by a thermogram. On the flip side, there is the occasional tumor site that won't show up on a thermogram, but may with a mammogram or other screening test. In fact, some studies show an increased survival rate when mammography and breast thermography are used together.
It's in your hands…
I'd say the best possible tool for fighting breast cancer is simply awareness. Know your options and choose what feels best for you based on your age, genetic risk, tissue density, and access. I'm not a fan of some of the diagnostic tools out there, but if you opt to use them, make sure you go in with eyes wide open. Ask questions. Don't be a meek little lamb who does whatever doctor says. If you ever have any kind of doubts, get a second opinion. Push for it. It's your life we're talking about. |
Labels:
cancer cure treatment natural
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Life-and-death danger for men on BPH drugs
Warning to Men on Drugs for Enlarged Prostate: They've been Linked to Cancer!
Some of the latest news about some popular prostate drugs links them to cancer. If confirmed true, it's disastrous news indeed, because about half of all men in their sixties have enlarged prostate (BPH), and as many as 90 percent of men in their seventies and eighties suffer from it.
American men are bombarded day and night with commercials urging us to take prescription drugs for BPH, and millions have heeded the call. Are we in the middle of a massive health catastrophe? Let's take a look. I also have somegood news about BPH and cancer, and you don't see much of that, so keep reading! Continued below. . .
In June 2011, the Food and Drug Administration issued an official warning1 about an increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer linked to the drugs finasteride (Proscar) and dutasteride (Avodart).
They even went on to update the Warnings and Precautions section of labels for this class of drugs known as 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (alpha blockers). Just so you're clear on some of the brand names, Avodart, Jalyn, and Proscar are approved to treat symptoms of prostate swelling — benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. And small doses of another drug, Propecia, are approved to treat hair loss in men. Propecia and Proscar are both brand names for finasteride. Dunno about you… but I'd think twice before swallowing anything that's sporting the "may cause cancer" label! I think I'd rather go bald, or deal with the frequent urination caused by BPH. Now if you have a taste for irony, you'll love this: Just a few months before this announcement, the FDA put the kybosh on plans to market these drugs as ones that could help PREVENT prostate cancer! For a change, Big Pharma got a much-needed smackdown in December 2010. GlaxoSmithKline, maker of dutasteride (brand name Avodart), wanted to add language to the label indicating the drug's ability to reduce prostate cancer risk in men who:
Instead, the FDA Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 17-0 that GlaxoSmithKline's dutasteride and Merck's finasteride should NOT be used to prevent prostate cancer. Why?
They said the drugs had been linked to a higher incidence of high-grade tumors. At least now we'll be spared a barrage of commercials claiming these drugs are cancer answers. The FDA decided that any benefits seen in the reduction of less-risky tumors were outweighed by the development of more life-threatening cancers is some subjects. Despite the risks from these drugs, many men still take them when seeking relief from a swollen prostate. Here's why…
Are you battling a bulging prostate?
Here are a few key facts to know about your prostate gland:
A healthy, mature prostate should remain the size of a walnut. At most, a healthy prostate may grow to the size of a small plum.
But if your prostate grows much bigger than that (as most do, the older you get), then you can experience serious discomfort and problems with urination. What's worse, an overgrown prostate can put the squeeze on nerves that help control your erections. This can make it difficult—if not impossible—to perform sexually. But here's a good question (and one I've often wondered about): Does BPH mean you're at greater risk of cancer? Not necessarily…
BPH doesn't mean cancer
Keep in mind that the "B" in BPH stands for "benign." It means the growth is non-cancerous. Scientists have not been able to determine for sure whether prostate swelling is a precursor to prostate cancer.
All the same, BPH symptoms can mimic those related to malignant abnormal cell growth, such as:
In time, these problems can cause your bladder to become more irritable… to contract even when it only has a small amount of urine… and give you more frequent and sudden urges to pee. No doubt you've seen those commercials with older men dashing for the nearest restroom all day long, or getting up several times a night to urinate.
It's annoying. But it's not cancer. And here's more good news if you're experiencing any of these symptoms…
Dangerous drugs are NOT your only option!
Prescriptions for BPH drugs can be expensive and may produce unwanted side effects such as headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and even sudden fainting. A large number of men also report a loss of sex drive, and some say it doesn't come back even after they stop taking the drug.
We covered this simmering scandal in our Special Report Maximum Manhood. If I say so myself, every man over 40 should read this report. It not only covers the dangers of prescription BPH drugs, but it goes over all your natural treatment options. The report also covers testosterone supplements (natural AND prescription) in greater depth than any other publication you can find. It just so happens that getting your testosterone up may bring you relief from BPH and the never-ending trips to the bathroom.Click here to learn more. I would avoid taking BPH drugs. And in fact I DO avoid it. I'm in the midst of trying the most widely recommended natural solutions for BPH. No success so far, I have to tell you. But I do know they work for some men. They're worth a try. And meanwhile I'm going to keep looking for one that works for me. Maximum Manhood covers the natural BPH solutions in depth, but here are some of the best-known ones:
There are a number of high-quality supplements that contain some or all of these (and many other natural substances) to help keep your prostate growth in check.
|
Saturday, August 17, 2013
How cancer doctors rip off patients
This Secret Hustle has Cancer
|
Improve your hearing without implants or surgery
Most people think that hearing loss is a part of aging and that they have to live with it. They tend to believe the only way out is to wear hearing aids or undergo invasive implant surgery.
They are wrong! New breakthrough studies have unlocked the powerful secret that helps relieve ringing in the ears and improves your hearing even if you're 70, 80 or 90 years old! The best news is that your hearing can start to improve in as little as 7 days. To know more about this amazing secret, Click Here. |
Unlike other specialists, oncologists who prescribe chemotherapy can profit directly from prescribing certain drugs if they administer treatments in their offices. It only works for an oncologist who has an independent practice. Those employed by hospitals can't enrich themselves this way. In those cases it's the hospital that's reaping massive profits.
But the profiteers in private practice can buy the drugs at wholesale prices, then bill Medicare or private insurance for whatever they can get—and pocket the difference.
You've heard the expression "cutting out the middle man"? That's exactly what the independent oncologist does. He or she is acting as your doctor and your pharmacy at the same time.
A New York Times article1 about these de facto drug-company kickbacks features a quote from Ari Straus, the chief operating officer of Aurora Healthcare Consulting. The group focuses on helping doctors increase their profits.
Straus told the Times that in 2002 many physicians were earning upwards of $1 million per year on drug sales alone!
The General Accounting Office studied federal payments for cancer drugs in late 2001. The GAO determined that, on average, doctors got discounts as high as 86 percent on some drugs! They pay fourteen cents and charge the cancer patient a dollar.
Having observed for some years how the medical system operates, my guess is that many doctors prescribe the chemotherapy drugs that pay them the highest profits, not those that are best for the patient — and certainly not those that are a bargain for the patient.
This is sometimes justified by telling the patient the drug is brand new and represents some kind of improvement. New drugs, still under patent, are the most expensive ones. But it's a well-known fact that few new drugs are any better than off-patent drugs that have been around for years.
The proof for the claimed "improvement" may be that cancer patients in clinical trials survived just a few more weeks than the control group that received an older, cheaper chemo drug. Most of the time, the so-called improvement is bogus, because the system permits drug companies to cook the results in a variety of ways.
But the profiteers in private practice can buy the drugs at wholesale prices, then bill Medicare or private insurance for whatever they can get—and pocket the difference.
You've heard the expression "cutting out the middle man"? That's exactly what the independent oncologist does. He or she is acting as your doctor and your pharmacy at the same time.
A New York Times article1 about these de facto drug-company kickbacks features a quote from Ari Straus, the chief operating officer of Aurora Healthcare Consulting. The group focuses on helping doctors increase their profits.
Straus told the Times that in 2002 many physicians were earning upwards of $1 million per year on drug sales alone!
The General Accounting Office studied federal payments for cancer drugs in late 2001. The GAO determined that, on average, doctors got discounts as high as 86 percent on some drugs! They pay fourteen cents and charge the cancer patient a dollar.
Having observed for some years how the medical system operates, my guess is that many doctors prescribe the chemotherapy drugs that pay them the highest profits, not those that are best for the patient — and certainly not those that are a bargain for the patient.
This is sometimes justified by telling the patient the drug is brand new and represents some kind of improvement. New drugs, still under patent, are the most expensive ones. But it's a well-known fact that few new drugs are any better than off-patent drugs that have been around for years.
The proof for the claimed "improvement" may be that cancer patients in clinical trials survived just a few more weeks than the control group that received an older, cheaper chemo drug. Most of the time, the so-called improvement is bogus, because the system permits drug companies to cook the results in a variety of ways.
Crazy Markups
A study published in the journal Health Affairs2 gives an example of the crazy markups in the case of breast cancer patients.
Researchers from the University of Michigan and Harvard University found that just increasing a doctor's reimbursement by ONE DOLLAR resulted in the use of chemo drugs that cost $23 more!
In other words, the doctors in this study are willing to see you or your insurance company billed a much higher amount as long as they get an extra buck or two out of it.
You can be sure that many oncologists jump on the bandwagon of running an in-office pharmacy for profit. But your average thinking person probably would want to know…
Researchers from the University of Michigan and Harvard University found that just increasing a doctor's reimbursement by ONE DOLLAR resulted in the use of chemo drugs that cost $23 more!
In other words, the doctors in this study are willing to see you or your insurance company billed a much higher amount as long as they get an extra buck or two out of it.
You can be sure that many oncologists jump on the bandwagon of running an in-office pharmacy for profit. But your average thinking person probably would want to know…
Does anyone else smell a conflict of interest?
Imagine the problems the "cancer concession" creates for a doctor who's supposed to be helping patients decide if they should undergo chemotherapy at all… or if they should continue a treatment that doesn't appear to be working… or if they should choose an off-patent drug instead of the newest, most expensive one…
Because the profit margins vary widely, the greediest doctors focus on prescribing medications with the highest margins.
Medicare attempted to crack down on the practice in 2005 by changing the markups they would pay for the drugs.
Prior to 2005, Medicare paid a markup of 20 percent to 100 percent on many drugs. And private insurers were willing to pay even higher markups! (A 100 percent markup means half of what you're paying for the drug goes into the doctor's pocket, while the other half goes to the drug company.)
The 2005 Medicare reforms capped drug reimbursement at only 6 percent above the average price of the drug paid by all doctors. If successful, this would mean the doctor is passing on the drugs to you at just a little bit above his cost.
This change caused the overall amount that doctors billed Medicare for injectable drugs to fall by 6 percent—that is, from $10.6 billion in 2004 to $10.3 billion in 2005.
But many private insurers continue to pay higher markups.
Because of the Medicare cutbacks, some doctors decided to suspend office treatments in favor of sending patients to hospitals for chemotherapy.
This might sound like a minor adjustment, but the added commuting time and expense can be far more than an inconvenience for a person battling a life-threatening cancer diagnosis. Personally I'd rather get the chemo infusion in a private office — as long as the doctor isn't price-gouging.
But at least the 6 percent Medicare markup cap has put the kybosh on the outrageous charges, right?
In a perfect world, maybe this would be true. But the reality is…
Because the profit margins vary widely, the greediest doctors focus on prescribing medications with the highest margins.
Medicare attempted to crack down on the practice in 2005 by changing the markups they would pay for the drugs.
Prior to 2005, Medicare paid a markup of 20 percent to 100 percent on many drugs. And private insurers were willing to pay even higher markups! (A 100 percent markup means half of what you're paying for the drug goes into the doctor's pocket, while the other half goes to the drug company.)
The 2005 Medicare reforms capped drug reimbursement at only 6 percent above the average price of the drug paid by all doctors. If successful, this would mean the doctor is passing on the drugs to you at just a little bit above his cost.
This change caused the overall amount that doctors billed Medicare for injectable drugs to fall by 6 percent—that is, from $10.6 billion in 2004 to $10.3 billion in 2005.
But many private insurers continue to pay higher markups.
Because of the Medicare cutbacks, some doctors decided to suspend office treatments in favor of sending patients to hospitals for chemotherapy.
This might sound like a minor adjustment, but the added commuting time and expense can be far more than an inconvenience for a person battling a life-threatening cancer diagnosis. Personally I'd rather get the chemo infusion in a private office — as long as the doctor isn't price-gouging.
But at least the 6 percent Medicare markup cap has put the kybosh on the outrageous charges, right?
In a perfect world, maybe this would be true. But the reality is…
New study links chemotherapy prescriptions
with rising cancer costs!
with rising cancer costs!
The findings of the University of Michigan and Harvard University study were confirmed again by a 2012 study from researchers at University of California, Los Angeles.
The study, published online December 26th in the Journal of Clinical Oncology,3 confirms financial incentives continue to exist for some US oncologists in the prescribing of chemotherapy drugs.
The study was led by Jennifer Malin, MD, PhD at UCLA, who is also medical director of oncology at the managed care company WellPoint.
The authors stated that profits from the chemotherapy concession represent about 65 percent of revenue in a typical oncology practice, effectively "dwarfing the income from evaluation and management."
The authors recommend shutting down this profit source completely.
They said one workaround solution could be to develop "specialty pharmacy programs" that work with payers to supply clinics with drugs. This would effectively eliminate the current "buy and bill" process.
But the researchers acknowledge the challenges involved in implementing such programs.
These include managing storage and administration of the drugs, as well as "concerns about waste if site-of-care laboratory testing indicates that the drug should not be given."
Despite the challenges with eliminating the chemotherapy concession, many folks concerned about skyrocketing medical costs would welcome the idea of eliminating outrageous profits to doctors who capitalize off of the medical misery of others.
The study, published online December 26th in the Journal of Clinical Oncology,3 confirms financial incentives continue to exist for some US oncologists in the prescribing of chemotherapy drugs.
The study was led by Jennifer Malin, MD, PhD at UCLA, who is also medical director of oncology at the managed care company WellPoint.
The authors stated that profits from the chemotherapy concession represent about 65 percent of revenue in a typical oncology practice, effectively "dwarfing the income from evaluation and management."
The authors recommend shutting down this profit source completely.
They said one workaround solution could be to develop "specialty pharmacy programs" that work with payers to supply clinics with drugs. This would effectively eliminate the current "buy and bill" process.
But the researchers acknowledge the challenges involved in implementing such programs.
These include managing storage and administration of the drugs, as well as "concerns about waste if site-of-care laboratory testing indicates that the drug should not be given."
Despite the challenges with eliminating the chemotherapy concession, many folks concerned about skyrocketing medical costs would welcome the idea of eliminating outrageous profits to doctors who capitalize off of the medical misery of others.
Hospitals have their own scam
to profit from the suffering of cancer patients
to profit from the suffering of cancer patients
The government permits hospitals to engage in a practice that's similar to the one in private oncology. What's more, this "340B" program has been vastly expanded under Obamacare.
340B was originally meant to help about 90 hospitals to buy drugs to treat the poor. Under the program, drug companies are forced to sell the hospitals drugs at 25 to 50 percent off. As government programs have a habit of doing, the program has expanded to 1675 hospitals and has become one of the biggest boondoggles in medicine.
In the words of the Wall Street Journal (July 31, 2013), "The arrangement gives 340B-qualified hospitals a big incentive to search for patients and prescribe a lot of drugs. The costlier the drugs, the bigger the spread. So expensive cancer drugs are especially appealing."
The article cites one hospital that purchased $54.8 million in drugs under the discount program and sold them to patients for $131.8 million for a profit of $76.9 million. The hospital's total profits from ALL diseases and injuries was $190 million. This means cancer patients are paying a large portion of the bills for the entire health system.
This government program is such a goldmine, eligible hospitals are buying up private oncology practices as fast as they can. Just since the passage of Obamacare, hospitals have acquired 400 oncology practices, according to the Wall Street Journal article. "Acquiring a single oncologist and moving the doctor's prescriptions under a hospital's 340B program can generate an additional profit of $1 million for a hospital."
The hospital conglomerates are rushing to buy up so-called "satellite pharmacies" for the same reason. They want to get their hands on the chemotherapy profits.
The overhead in a hospital is higher than in a private doctor's office, so the same chemotherapy costs the patient something like $6,500 more. That means an additional $650 in copays for many patients, plus other expenses.
Before consenting to undergo chemotherapy in a hospital OR a private practice, you should ask yourself, "Are they doing this because it's good for me or because it's good for them?"
I think the answer is pretty obvious.
340B was originally meant to help about 90 hospitals to buy drugs to treat the poor. Under the program, drug companies are forced to sell the hospitals drugs at 25 to 50 percent off. As government programs have a habit of doing, the program has expanded to 1675 hospitals and has become one of the biggest boondoggles in medicine.
In the words of the Wall Street Journal (July 31, 2013), "The arrangement gives 340B-qualified hospitals a big incentive to search for patients and prescribe a lot of drugs. The costlier the drugs, the bigger the spread. So expensive cancer drugs are especially appealing."
The article cites one hospital that purchased $54.8 million in drugs under the discount program and sold them to patients for $131.8 million for a profit of $76.9 million. The hospital's total profits from ALL diseases and injuries was $190 million. This means cancer patients are paying a large portion of the bills for the entire health system.
This government program is such a goldmine, eligible hospitals are buying up private oncology practices as fast as they can. Just since the passage of Obamacare, hospitals have acquired 400 oncology practices, according to the Wall Street Journal article. "Acquiring a single oncologist and moving the doctor's prescriptions under a hospital's 340B program can generate an additional profit of $1 million for a hospital."
The hospital conglomerates are rushing to buy up so-called "satellite pharmacies" for the same reason. They want to get their hands on the chemotherapy profits.
The overhead in a hospital is higher than in a private doctor's office, so the same chemotherapy costs the patient something like $6,500 more. That means an additional $650 in copays for many patients, plus other expenses.
Before consenting to undergo chemotherapy in a hospital OR a private practice, you should ask yourself, "Are they doing this because it's good for me or because it's good for them?"
I think the answer is pretty obvious.
The suffering of cancer patients pays their bills
The conventional medical industry has no incentive to look for alternatives to chemotherapy and radiation, or to find a "cure" for cancer (as they always claim they're trying to do.) They depend on the profits from cancer. They live off of those dying people.
A "cure' would be a disaster for them. Just remember that when you read those hopeful news stories about some gene therapy or whatever that holds out hope for a cure. To be sure, some exciting research is going on at the genetic and molecular level, but the "cure" (if any) is always years away and involves highly exotic and speculative technology that will probably cost a fortune if it's ever FDA approved.
One line of research they're all excited about involves designer viruses — genetically modified microbes designed to kill a particular type of cancer cell while leaving the patient unharmed. Naturally, Big Science pours money into this sort of thing, while visions of Nobel prizes dance in the heads of the researchers. Little thought is given to the possible dangers of these man-made, Frankenstein microbes.
Meanwhile, there are promising herbs and phytonutrients that could be validated for a few hundred million dollars out of the hundreds of billions wasted on chemotherapy.
A "cure' would be a disaster for them. Just remember that when you read those hopeful news stories about some gene therapy or whatever that holds out hope for a cure. To be sure, some exciting research is going on at the genetic and molecular level, but the "cure" (if any) is always years away and involves highly exotic and speculative technology that will probably cost a fortune if it's ever FDA approved.
One line of research they're all excited about involves designer viruses — genetically modified microbes designed to kill a particular type of cancer cell while leaving the patient unharmed. Naturally, Big Science pours money into this sort of thing, while visions of Nobel prizes dance in the heads of the researchers. Little thought is given to the possible dangers of these man-made, Frankenstein microbes.
Meanwhile, there are promising herbs and phytonutrients that could be validated for a few hundred million dollars out of the hundreds of billions wasted on chemotherapy.
Labels:
cancer cure treatment natural
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
[for guys only] natural ways to JACK UP growth hormone
3 Sneaky Ways Your Sleep Habits Are Messing Up
Muscle Growth
By Joseph Arangio, MS, CSCS
Seemingly innocent activities before bedtime can screw up the
natural release of muscle-building substances, like GH and
testosterone.
Sleep Tip #1: Avoid Stimulants
As a general rule, avoid caffeine six to eight hours before
bedtime. Caffeine blocks brain receptors that promote
sleep. "It causes physiological arousal which makes it more
difficult to fall asleep," says Shawn Youngstedt, Ph.D., sleep
scientist from the University of California, San Diego.
Plus caffeine decreases the deep, growth hormone-rich stages of
sleep.
Sleep Tip #2: Reduce Stress
Balancing your checkbook immediately before bed or discussing
business on the telephone is not a good idea.
In addition, watching scary stuff (like The Exorcist... google it)
too close to bedtime might make you anxious and unsettled and make
the transition into sleep tricky. "Anything that causes autonomic
nervous system arousal will impair sleep due to increases in heart
rate, breathing, and sweat production," says Dr. Youngstedt.
Sleep Tip #3: Skip the Nightcap
Sure, alcohol may make you sleepy after dinner, but the sleep that
you get is superficial and hardly restful. Alcohol prevents
you from achieving the deep, restorative sleep associated
with growth hormone production.
And when you don't recover from your workouts, muscle growth
suffers.
If you consume alcohol, moderation and timing are the keys to
ensuring deep, continuous sleep.
Want superhero muscles? One drink, six hours before bedtime, is the
limit.
==================
If you think this can help one of your drinking buddies, pass it
along.
Train hard,
Did a Leading Cancer Doctor Really Admit This?
If you asked oncologists what they really think of cancer treatments, you’d be shocked.
According to one report, when a leading doctor at the Sloan‐Kettering Cancer Center found out that he had advanced‐stage cancer, he told his colleagues, “Do anything you want—but no chemotherapy!”
And he’s not alone. Another official reportedly refused to allow his mother to undergo “state‐of‐the‐art” therapy at his own hospital. What did he do? He sent her to Germany for “alternative” care.
But it’s not surprising when you consider the side effects of traditional treatment…hair loss, nausea, fatigue, cancer even!
So then why wouldn’t you hear more about a natural treatment? One that not only destroys cancer cells but leaves healthy ones untouched?
A study on people who received this treatment for cancer and other ailments noted that “the results have been spectacular; the only side effect is ‘chronic good health.’”
You read that correctly. Chronic good health was the only side effect. That’s a far cry from any of the conventional methods you’ll hear about.
Go HERE to find out all the details including how the mainstream almost killed one of the greatest cancer discoveries in history. Prepare to be outraged.
Labels:
cancer cure treatment natural
Sunday, August 11, 2013
2103 Cancer Control Society Convention
41st Annual
Cancer Control Society
2013 Convention
Cancer Control Society
2013 Convention
OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND PROFESSIONALS
Aug. 31st Sept 1 & 2, 2013
Sat., Sun. & Mon. - Labor Day Weekend
SHERATON UNIVERSAL HOTEL
Universal City, CA (Across from Universal Studios Hollywood)
For Hotel Reservations Call 1-800-325-3535 - Say Attending “CCS Convention”
Singles and Doubles $155.00
Meet Recovered Cancer Patients with Encouraging Reports
LECTURES . MOVIES . EXHIBITS
Aug. 31st Sept 1 & 2, 2013
Sat., Sun. & Mon. - Labor Day Weekend
SHERATON UNIVERSAL HOTEL
Universal City, CA (Across from Universal Studios Hollywood)
For Hotel Reservations Call 1-800-325-3535 - Say Attending “CCS Convention”
Singles and Doubles $155.00
Meet Recovered Cancer Patients with Encouraging Reports
LECTURES . MOVIES . EXHIBITS
LEARN ABOUT THE PREVENTION & CONTROL OF CANCER THROUGH NUTRITION, TESTS & NON-TOXIC CANCER THERAPIES SUCH AS LAETRILE, GERSON, HOXSEY, KOCH, ENZYMES & IMMUNOTHERAPY FROM MEDICAL DOCTORS, CLINICAL RESEARCHERS, NUTRITIONISTS & AUTHORS. IN ADDITION, LEARN ABOUT CHELATION, DMSO, OXYGEN, HERBAL, CELLULAR &
ELECTRO-MAGNETIC THERAPIES. AND MUCH MORE…
ELECTRO-MAGNETIC THERAPIES. AND MUCH MORE…
Only $40.00/Day
For more information and programs contact:
CANCER CONTROL SOCIETY
2043 N. Berendo St.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 663-7801
www.cancercontrolsociety.com
DOCTOR'S Symposium - $75.00
Tuesday, Sept. 3rd - ALL PROFESSIONALS & PUBLIC INVITED.
TOUR OF MEXICAN CANCER CLINICS - $100.00
Wed., Sept. 4th, Sat., Sept. 14
PRE-REGISTRATION
CANCER CONTROL SOCIETY
2043 N. Berendo St.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 663-7801
www.cancercontrolsociety.com
DOCTOR'S Symposium - $75.00
Tuesday, Sept. 3rd - ALL PROFESSIONALS & PUBLIC INVITED.
TOUR OF MEXICAN CANCER CLINICS - $100.00
Wed., Sept. 4th, Sat., Sept. 14
PRE-REGISTRATION
Read this before your next lawn treatment
Read this BEFORE your next lawn treatment…
Most lawns and gardens experience pesky weed growth that can choke your grass—and make you step up your weed-whacking efforts.
For many folks this means a trip to the local hardware store to purchase herbicides. But before you resort to chemical weed killers, you should know that a recent study found the world's most popular brand may be linked to a host of health problems including Alzheimer's disease, cancer, infertility and Parkinson's disease! Keep reading and I'll explain... Continued below. . .
Stephanie Seneff, a research scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Anthony Samsel, a retired science consultant from Arthur D. Little, Inc., made these claims in a study published in the journal Entropy1.
The authors dubbed the active ingredient in Monsanto's product Roundup® "the most biologically disruptive chemical in our environment!" It has been available under different brand names since the Monsanto patent expired in 2000. Whatever the brand name, the ingredient we're talking about is glyphosate, a chemical that is commonly sprayed over genetically modified (GM) crops designed to tolerate it. This means the toxin has made its way to your dinner table. According to Samsel and Seneff, the chemical residues you ingest in foods slowly disrupt normal body functions and can cause inflammation and disease throughout the body. Now you can bet the reaction from the chemical manufacturers was fast and furious!
Are these accusations based on bad science?
Monsanto was quick to respond to the study conclusions, and attempted to tear holes in Samsel and Seneff's claims. A company blog post2 accused the authors of producing a paper of "low scientific quality" using "no new data and a piecemeal approach."
Basically, Monsanto objected to the fact that the authors didn't conduct any new research. The company said Samsel and Seneff just compiled a review of recent literature to arrive at their cause-and-effect hypotheses. The blog post also attacked the scientists' credibility based on their ties to activist groups lobbying against GM foods. These counterattacks might make you less willing to condemn the popular weed killing product, at least until you have more information. But remember, Monsanto admits that these folks reviewed existing studies and literature. Clearly this means that other people have been investigating a connection between glyphosate and disease. For example, scientists raised similar concerns about the health effects of glyphosate in a study published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology3. These researchers determined that glyphosate has estrogenic properties that feed breast cancer tumors. What's more, a 2011 study4 from the U.S. Geological Survey found the chemical present in 60 to 100 percent of rain and air samples in the U.S! That surprised me, because I don't think of herbicides as an air pollution issue. The problem isn't confined to the United State. In Europe, testing showed that people in 18 countries had glyphosate in their bodies! With such a widespread presence on the planet, you can bet that humans aren't the only ones suffering the nasty side effects…
Glyphosate is an equal opportunity poison
In a January 16, 2011 open letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack, plant pathologist Dr. Don Huber warned of a link between Roundup Ready® (RR) crops and serious plant diseases, animal infertility and spontaneous abortions.
Roundup Ready crops are genetically modified to withstand the effects of Roundup herbicide, so they survive the poison while weeds are killed. Dr. Huber said a new infectious agent had been found in heavy concentrations in the RR soybean and corn crops. He was especially disturbed by what he called "an unprecedented trend of increasing plant and animal disease and disorders." Huber urged USDA to launch a multi-agency investigation and place a moratorium on deregulating RR crops until the relationship between glyphosate and these plants could be investigated more fully. So how did the government react to his requests? The administration fully deregulated Monsanto's RR alfalfa and sugar beets less than three weeks after receiving Dr. Huber's letter! Now, Dr. Huber’s letter concerned Roundup-Ready plants, not the weed killer as such. But it’s hard to separate the two because when you consume an RR crop presumably you’re eating herbicide residue, too. In fact, Dr. Huber maintains the herbicide actually becomes part of the plant. You can’t wash it off or remove it in any way. Maybe you'll find comfort in knowing that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is conducting a standard registration review of glyphosate. They've decided to render a decision about whether to limit glyphosate use by the year2015. I find this disturbing. The safety of the product should be established before it's deregulated. In the meantime, you can at least avoid using the weed killer on your own lawn and garden if you'd like to reduce your exposure. This might mean you'll have to pull out the electric weed whacker… hire a gardener… or resign yourself to weeding the old-fashioned way — on your knees and with your hands… Any of these choices may be a safer, healthier alternative to the chemicals in the food supply that may be harming your health. |
Labels:
cancer cure treatment natural,
chemical,
herbicides
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)