Quack Totnes Cancer Conference Ends in Farce

27th March, 2012 45

Earlier this month, I wrote about how Dr Stephen Hopwood was opening a new alternative cancer clinic in Totnes, Devon, that was to “offer real alternatives to the conventional approach to cancer health care”. To celebrate the opening, Hopwood was holding a cancer conference, inviting people with cancer to come along, and inviting a range of cancer cure peddlers to temp attendees with their magic beans. What followed was quite [read more…]

The Burzynski Millions

19th March, 2012 48

Dr Stanislaw R. Burzynski presents himself as a lone maverick doctor, struggling against the vested interests and great wealth of the medical profession. He claims to have found a safe and effective form of cancer treatment that can save children with the deadliest forms of cancer. But he claims the medical authorities and “Cancer Industry” do not want you to know this and will try anything to shut him down. [read more…]

Dr Burzynski Comes to the UK

16th March, 2012 42

In October this year, an organisation calling itself The Cambridge Institute of Complementary Health is hosting a conference on “cutting edge and innovative ways of treating cancer”. The keynote speaker is Dr Stanislaw Burzynski from the Burzynski Institute in Texas. Burzynski is a controversial character. He has been regularly appearing in local and national newspapers and TV in the UK as families with desperately sick children try to raise hundreds [read more…]

Boiron Settles for $12M to Stop Homeopathy Lawsuits

8th March, 2012 114

I have long contended that homeopathy does so well because people do not know what it is. Homeopathy thrives on the esoteric nature of its beliefs: tell customers one thing, but believe something weird within the cult. Indeed, last week I was at dinner with French friends where the subject of homeopathy came up. (It’s huge in France. The picture is of the local Phamacy window – the big advert [read more…]

The Totnes Cancer Health Centre: A Quack Pascal’s Wager

8th March, 2012 27

England has a rather odd piece of legislation prohibiting the advertisement of cancer treatments. It is odd because, on the whole, England is a pretty tolerant place when it comes to allowing people to set themselves up with health businesses. There is a Common Law right to practice. And anyone can treat a sick person, even for money, as long as there is informed consent. There are exceptions. You must [read more…]