My Malignant Melanoma

It's been a busy week at work, so only just been able to blog on this weeks' melanoma related stories.

Sunbeds have been reclassified as a cause of human cancer by the World Health Organisation as reported slightly hysterically in the press.

Obviously tanorexia needs tackling, and the original press release is entirely free of hysteria, but like a lot of melanoma patients, I do get a bit annoyed when these messages are taken in a way which blames MM patients. The message that deliberate tanning can cause MM is too often misread, misunderstood or misreported as one that deliberate tanning is the sole cause of MM, and melanoma is consequently thought of as a lifestyle choice. Bobby Robson died of metastatic MM yesterday. It didn't sound a particularly enjoyable lifestyle choice from the reports.

There is also a new promoter of quackery on the What Now board. This one is claiming that they are living proof that not one, but four or five separate quacks have effective treatments for cancer.

Of course, if someone with cancer had conventional medical treatment and also four quack treatments and lives for a while, we can be sure that all four quack treatments work and conventional medicine has failed.

After all, everyone knows that conventional cancer treatment is entirely ineffective, and all of science and medicine a huge hoax to hide these facts from us, organised by the lizard people from space who secretly run the world. Ask David Icke.

The quacks in question here are Messrs Gerson, Lodi, Cobb and "Cousins". Two of these have been discussed on here previously, and two are new. None of them however has even a single solid anecdote to support any of the "cures" they offer to anyone with money to spare.

Cobb claims to have cured her own cancer with a raw food diet, and subsequently opened a clinic promoting this supposed cancer cure, (though away from the testimonials section, the clinic's website is careful to avoid any claims to cure anything).

However, in telling her own story the site says says "Brenda Cobb, our Founder and Director, overcame the early stages of breast and cervical cancer without the use of drugs or surgery by following the simple principles of detoxification and nutrition. She also got rid of allergies, acid reflux, indigestion, arthritis, obesity, age or liver spots, and gray hair. Her eyesight even improved!"

This is fantastic! Uncooked food can cure anything. What fools we were inventing fire!

She also says "Brenda Cobb was awarded and Honorary Cultural Doctorate in Therapeutic Philosophy from the World University in September 2003 for her work in helping people heal from diseases that the medical community thought were terminal, incurable and hopeless."

Wow, "The World University", that sounds impressive! What do they study there?

To quote from their website "It embraces, but is not limited to such subjects as metaphysics, psycho-cybernetics, bio-energetics, astrology, telepathy, telekinesis, trance phenomena, precognition, and all states of altered consciousness, as well as the entire field of esotericism, including the teachings of initiation, uni-chotometrics, astral projection, and interplanetary communication."

Oh right, magic. It is the university of magic. Though Harry Potter is not mentioned on the site, I'm sure he must be a graduate. That he is fictional would be no bar to his attendance. Its entire curriculum consists of fictional subjects.

All qualifications from "The World University" are worthless, but the Honorary Cultural Doctorate in Therapeutic Philosophy award stands out as beyond worthlessness. It seem to represent recognition by your peers as a world class promoter of quackery. Look who else has one.

"Dr. Cousins" is actually Dr. Rabbi Dr. Dr. Cousens, as in:

"Gabriel Cousens, M.D., M.D.(H), D.D. (Doctor of Divinity), Diplomate American Board of Holistic Medicine, Diplomate Ayurveda, a physician of the soul, teaches and lives the sevenfold peace. To the process of awakening and healing, Gabriel Cousens, M.D., M.D.(H), weaves a background as a holistic physician, medical researcher, world-recognized live-food nutritionist, psychiatrist, family therapist, homeopath, Rabbi, acupuncturist, Ayurvedic practitioner, expert on green juice spiritual fasting and detoxification fasting, ecological leader, Reiki master, internationally celebrated spiritual teacher, author, lecturer, culture-bridger, world peaceworker"..etcetera..ad nauseam (from his clinic's website).

He's a busy boy alright. Unfortunately he hasn't had time to actually document any cures for cancer at his very expensive clinic. And that patient who died after he injected them with an unlicensed medicine? He was cleared of all charges, and I'm sure the out of court settlement he made with the patient's family afterwards was just reflective of his deep spirituality. Oh yes.

He seems to practice more or less any brand of quackery or mumbo-jumbo you might want, for the right price. He also appears to be something of a dick.

The poster also recommends "Healing Cancer from the Inside Out", promoting Mike Anderson's "RAVE Diet", yet another "cancer curing" vegan diet of wheatgrass, supplements, and so on with the usual claims about the cancer conspiracy, sugar feeding cancer, alkaline diets, positive mental attitude, laetrile and so on.

Big Yawn. How many times can this bullshit be repackaged, and these conmen still sell their books to the desperate and the gullible?

Labels: Brenda Cobb, Gabriel Cousens, Healing Cancer from the Inside Out, Mike Anderson