Skip to main content

Legitimate, opportunistic, or ????

Glenn Sabin, a reported 21 year Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) survivor, who, other than having had a splenectomy soon after diagnosis, has not received any conventional chemotherapy treatment. This is even after
......experiencing the full force and effect of his leukemia [in 2003]. A low grade fever and night sweats persisted for months. Glenn’s hematocrit dipped to 22 as severe hemolytic anemia set in.......

Believable? Well yeah, sorta, kinda, maybe.

Certainly surviving 21 years with CLL is believable (even without treatment). There's lots of evidence of that. Even surviving a splenectomy for that long is believable, despite the fact after a splenectomy, not only do the other organs take over the functions of the spleen, they typically also take over the leukemia/lymphoma.

I just have a problem with everything else.

I especially have a problem with after having a full blown attack of CLL, i.e. low hematocrit, night sweats etc. he was able to obtain a complete remission without any chemotherapy, and by simply using a concept he calls integrative medicine.

My issue being nowhere is the concept of integrative medicine clearly explained. Nowhere does he identify what approach(es) he took. Did he take any medications?  Did he take vitamins and supplements? Did he change his diet? I couldn't find anything specific, other than the fact he embraces yoga.

Instead, he starts a company, FON Therapeutics,
...... [which] provides integrative oncology and integrative medicine centers consulting services focused on growing clinic utilization—driven by the right marketing, right messaging, proper brand positioning, all rooted in a business model that works.

So is he legit? I don't know for sure, but the cynic in me tells me he isn't.

The cynic in me says, if he's not willing to more clearly explain his approach, and produce empirical evidence, backed up by clinical trials of the effectiveness of that approach, then he is nothing more than another scam artist trying to capitalize on his [supposed] good fortune, and preying on the hopes and fears of desperate people.

But you are free to make your own decisions!
Labels:

Comments

Alan said…
His prior career was marketing. Enough said.
11:40 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My concerns reaffirmed today

When I was first diagnosed with MCL, I pretty much read just about everything I could get my hands on, I attended various conferences, and I talked to anyone who would listen. One of the most important lessons I learned, and which I've mentioned numerous times before was No one cares more about you than you. But in addition to that, I learned to fear the drug Doxorubicin , AKA Adriamycin, Doxil, Hydroxydoxorubicin, or more affectionately the Red Devil. Besides being a deadly chemical, as is the case with most chemotherapy drugs, it is one of the few chemotherapy drugs known to cause permanent heart damage. I even heard Dr. Sandra Horning , a noted Stanford lymphoma specialist, state at the first lymphoma conference I attended in LA, there was no evidence Doxorubicin provided any added benefit to chemotherapy protocols. This was music to my ears, since Doxorubicin is very common in most lymphoma treatment protocols. And even though Dr. Horning has since changed her tune [which my sk...
Post a Comment
Read more

Bowling: A metaphor on life [sorta]

Over the past 15+ years the game of bowling has changed dramatically. Not only has the equipment changed, making it easier for bowlers of all ages and physical conditions to participate, and score well, but there have even been major advances to how the lanes are prepared for the start of bowling. No longer is it just heavy oil, light oil, long oil, short oil, or no oil, with the latest equipment, the amount of oil can be varied from front to back and side to side, producing a myriad of patterns designed to make the game more interesting, more challenging and as you might surmise, more frustrating. No longer does the "one ball fits all" approach work any more either. In order to navigate all the differing possible lane conditions, you need to have a varied selection of bowling balls. Most pros will tell you the average bowler needs 3 balls, plus a ball for spares, but to be an above average bowler you'll need at least 6 balls, with many possessing more than that. But just...
1 comment
Read more

Fatigue! Part II - Maybe it is real?

Or it's actually Motivational Deficiency Disorder, MoDeD (pronounced Mo-Dee-Dee) for short. In a report this week by Roy Moynihan who reports for the British Medical Journal Austrailian scientists may have come across the reason for extreme laziness . The condition is claimed to affect up to one in five Australians and is characterised by overwhelming and debilitating apathy. Neuroscientists at the University of Newcastle in Australia say that in severe cases motivational deficiency disorder can be fatal, because the condition reduces the motivation to breathe. Neurologist Leth Argos is part of the team that has identified the disorder, which can be diagnosed using a combination of positron emission tomography and low scores on a motivation rating scale, previously validated in elite athletes. "This disorder is poorly understood," Professor Argos told the BMJ. "It is underdiagnosed and undertreated." Who knew? Maybe I have MoDeD, from my attempts to become a...
Post a Comment
Read more