Controversial medical treatments
595699
Suffering from Lyme Disease, Amy decides to travel to India to undergo a controversial procedure, embryonic stem cell treatment.  I found the first two thirds of the book to be fascinating.  I couldn't read enough about how the stem cells were working, the changes that were going on in her body and of the cultural differences she encountered in India.  I appreciated that she didn't get into the debate about the morality of embryonic stem cells, but merely told her story and her experiences.  I am not a spiritual person and found myself growing bored during the last third of the book.  I think some will really enjoy that part of the book, it just wasn't for me.  Overall, this book was well written, engaging and at times funny.  Highly recommended.
3098687
This book offers a real alternative for those of us who don't want to receve just the treatment of a symptom, but want answers and solutions for infertility, cramps, irregular cycles, miscarriage,... This book offers the answers I've been looking for. Infertility is a very sensible topic, and most of the doctors just send you to the fertility clinics where they sell you IVF treatments, but no real solutions for your problem, which they don't even look at.
This is a book all medical doctor and medical student should read. It opens the perspectives, presents a different way to look (and practice, if you are a specialist) the gynecology and obstetrics.
Although the author is Catholic, he presents arguments in this book that are valid for everyone. All it needs is an open mind to consider a totaly different way to consider women's health.
1356386
This is a vitally important book for everyone dealing with cancer: patients, physicians, researchers, funding agencies, etc.

The basic idea - which is supported by much clinical, lab, and theoretical evidence - is that we can rapidly start improving patient outcomes by strategically combining treatments which are currently available or will be available soon, rather than trying to use one primary treatment at a time and then sequentially switching to another one when the previous one fails (hoping to find a "magic bullet").  The spectrum of treatments to choose from includes not just FDA-approved cancer treatments, but also many FDA-approved agents which can be used off-label, as well as many dietary supplements.  The hope and expectation is that such multi-targeted treatment combinations ("cocktails") will synergistically cross a threshold and overwhelm the robust defenses of tumors, resulting in greatly improved survival, if not cure.  There's no guarantee of success with this approach, and there are also risks of unanticipated adverse consequences, but this still appears to be the best way forward, especially for cancers for which standard treatments are relatively ineffective for most patients.

This book overlaps somewhat with other excellent books on this topic, such as&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Anticancer-A-New-Way-of-Life-New-Edition/dp/0670021644/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Anticancer, A New Way of Life, New Edition</a>,<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Life-Over-Cancer-The-Block-Center-Program-for-Integrative-Cancer-Treatment/dp/0553801147/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Life Over Cancer: The Block Center Program for Integrative Cancer Treatment</a>, and&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Surviving-Terminal-Cancer-Clinical-Trials-Drug-Cocktails-and-Other-Treatments-Your-Oncologist-Won-t-Tell-You-About/dp/1577491165/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Surviving Terminal Cancer: Clinical Trials, Drug Cocktails, and Other Treatments Your Oncologist Won't Tell You About</a>, but provides plenty of valuable information which isn't found in those books, and is also up to date on topics such as immunotherapy and epigenetics.  So, again, this is a MUST READ.

PS - There's a math error on page 44, where it's stated that three treatments each with a 15% chance of success will combine to have a 45% chance of success.  Clearly, seven such treatments won't have a 105% chance of success, so the math is a bit more complicated, but Dr. Chang has the right general idea that the chance of success goes up as more treatments are added.
2113775
I would recommend these natural procedurals first before I would ever try Prescription Medication, Operations, Radiations & Chemotherapy but as you know the Medical Industry cannot make money on prescribing natural cures.
3573461
It is long overdue for Dr. Fantasia to take to pen and paper to herald the successful cases of the Cherry Hill Clinic.  A Registered Nurse in Critical Care and patient of the Clinic, I came seeking relief from an autoimmune condition after two years of medical treatment with little or no results. Having a degree in chemistry and always open to alternative modalities, I sought Dr. Fantasia out after a referral from another fellow Critical Care nurse, a patient at the Clinic.  Nurses have their own network amongst themselves and are advocates.  I have been a patient of Dr. Fantasia's Clinic for several years now and have enjoyed a better quality of life.  We can not live forever, but we can live better.

Enough about myself.  READ HER BOOK. The Cherry Hill Clinic is a marriage of conventional medicine and alternative treatments, specializing in IV nutritional therapy.  To quote Hippocrates, "Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food."
3266274
Medicine is great for acute problems, but not so good dealing with the chronic. So thank you for this book. I found that the very best physicians are flummoxed by problems with the gut (that are sometimes caused by medicines prescribed by doctors in the first place). I've had some top specialist sincerely try to help, but admit there is little they can do. (I love a doctor who honestly admits when he or she has hit a wall.)

As for the reviewer who is concerned about science, it should be understood that science itself admits it still knows little about nutrition, diet, and issues related to the gut and the immune system. In fact, the accepted science about diet for the last 45 years has been shown to be wrong and based on faulty scientific research. Science is now beginning to reverse its long-held beliefs about fats, cholesterol and salt.

To be clear about science, research is mostly meant as communication between scientists, and eventually much is proven untrue over time. Research suffers many flaws, and purposeful misinterpretation of results is not uncommon. Our loose use of the phrase "evidence-based" leads to a kind of scientism that can be misleading and even harmful. Studies are often small, designed in a way to produce weak validity, and/or haven't been replicated.

To get a good idea of how to think about research, watch the TED talks by researcher and academic, Stuart Firestone, MD, and Ben Goldacre, MD (his books are great, too). Or read Eric Topol, MD. There are many highly educated people in the medical/research world that are trying to educate people on how to properly think about research.
3800966
Dr Boyle has exposed one of the best kept secret of medicine...inappropriate use of diagnostic tests. Not only is this of interest to the public, I think many experienced doctors would learn much from this.
140410
I highly recommend: "Healing Cancer - from Inside Out", Second Edition by Mike Anderson which was featured on PBS, Air America and Pacifica Radio. I have critically reviewed it and find the presenters to be highly credible.  The DVD also interviews many experts on the subject and make reference to authors and their books.  Maybe they could've been more forthcoming and provided guidance on where people can go to get these treatments.
 What is needed is a compendium of these proven cures for the people that want it and are willing to go the extra lengths to get it.  Definitely a great resource for people dying of Cancer!
A great opportunity for foreign countries to take this cause, open clinics, and create a niche for some economic gain while offering a valuable service to humanity.
  The treatments are harmless, in contrast to the Holy Trinity remedies of the established medical profession - Surgery, Radiation and Chemotherapy.  I know that if I get cancer or have a family member with cancer, I will definitely consider these treatments.
 Even if , as the medical establishment claims, it is quackery, there is no harm but everything to gain!  Unfortunately, according to the DVD, these natural treatments have been banned in the U.S., with the influence of the AMA (American Medical Association) because the treatments are natural homeopathic cures which cannot be patented.  Therefore the medical industry cannot profit and can stand to lose much from potential lost revenues.  So we are left with few options, among them to go to other countries such as Mexico to the Hoxsey Cancer clinics, the Gerson Cancer clinics, etc.
85441
The conventional approach to treat cancer is doomed to failure. In most of the supposed successful cases, extra lifetime is considered to be cure of the disease. Dr. Seyfried and colleagues propose a different way to look at anti cancer therapy, treating it as a metabolic disease. This moves treatments to target the origin of the problem, not the result. This research must gain support from the scientific financing bodies, even though its success will not generate blockbuster drugs and billion dollar revenues. I am sure the cancer industry will not like this book and its revelations, but patients and medical doctors should read it. And reflect about it, even if it goes against the running paradigm and established concepts. I hope more of this comes up in the literature and can influence society and medical Universities all over the world.
664984
It is very sad how the medical-pharmaceutical conglomerate has absconded with the health of our society.  Free will can only be exercised when the patient has "Informed Consent".  This cannot be accomplished when your physician has massively inadequate knowledge in numerous areas in which they feel competent (but are not).  This book, written by the scientist who discovered the PSA (prostate specific antigen molecule) exposes all that he has now learned regarding the misuse by doctors and surgeons of his discovery. Read it and learn. David Getoff, CCN, FAAIM
4319468
I purchased this book when I heard that my dad was going to have angioplasty and then he wound up having bypass.  I found the history of the procedures very interesting, and I thought the book had some good critiques of the culture surrounding the procedures, both on the medical side and on the patient side.  But ultimately the book trails off on social science tangents and vague assertions of discrimination and whatnot that were far afield from assessing whether angioplasty and bypass are a bright idea for anyone.  Also, I was disappointed that there wasn't more discussion of the changes in conventional wisdom about why people have heart disease.  In particular, some discussion of how America went overboard on low-fat diets and narrow fixation on LDL cholesterol.  Given the discussion of statins in the book, I thought there might be a critical appraisal of those issues, but there was not.

Could have been an awesome book on an important topic.  It isn't.  It is a good book on the history of angioplasty and bypass that will help some folks think critically about the procedures.
3940869
Interesting read but I feel like it contains a lot of generalities. Coming from someone who was in one of the pain programs mentioned in the book, I would say that my experience differed. It is very true that doctors are pushing prescriptions and there are underlying financial reasons, but there are other methods of treatment that are available like physical therapy, surgery, education, and prescriptions with no potential for abuse that are being offered. So there were some areas that I would like to argue. That's fine with me because a good book will stir thought and provoke discussion like this does. At any rate I did enjoy hearing what the author had to say and seeing the other side of things from her view. There were a lot of things I learned that I didn't know before.

Without harping too much on specifics or getting off subject, I would have to argue though that this view is somewhat skewed. It does give a more frightening view of a big picture but I take it with a grain of salt because when doctors have pushed pills on me when I didn't need them they were just fine with me refusing, and when I truly need help with my condition I have been refused. It takes two to tango in this case; the book is really focused to those "pill shoppers" and "pill pushers". It is not indicative of all doctors and it can be frustrating for people like me to read that other people can get a pile of pills instantly while I wait over a year waiting list for physical therapy because I'm interested in my health not pills. So there are two sides to every story, or make that three or four or five when all the patients, doctors, insurance, etc. are involved.
4840204
Worth researching for those problems that are not eliminated with mainstream medicine. Too bad we can't change the way we do business where big drug companies with loads of money are concerned.
2289415
Thought provoking, well researched and comprehensibly written, this book addresses many symptoms that modern medicine cannot explain nor cure.
1208355
This book helped me understand my new AFfib diagnosis and explained treatment options with both conventional and complementary "natural" adjuncts.  I appreciated that the author did not side with either option.  AFib is serious stuff, and you don't want advocacy for natural OR allopathic philosophies, along with the finger pointing and conspiracy theories ("big pharma is wicked" or "natural treatments are a total sham").  The natural treatments she proposes involve trialing food restrictions and inexpensive supplements that she gives the chemical names for (not brand names).
She doesn't advocate discontinuing pharma, or ruling out interventional cardiology.  The one thing I'd add for US patients is that the nextgen anticoagulants are very expensive here ($426/mo at Costco in 2018 - that's the best I can find, and they can be up to $650 at Walgreens).  They are worth it, IMO.  By using Canadian pharmacies, they are $70/mo.  This isn't germane to the topic of the book ... well maybe it is!
The author has every reason to be proud of herself for clear writing - I hope she considers a career as a science writer.
4052826
The sick and suffering in the USA who are appalled by current high prices for their medication will be amazed to learn this struggle has been unceasing throughout human history. Barbara Griggs describes how for many centuries inexpensive herbal remedies were fostered by women who were unable to afford the costly medicines or services of established doctors. For current times, the author explains,"The quiet revolution which is gradually bringing plants back to centre-stage is patient rather than doctor-driven. It is patients who may be bankrupted  by the cost of medical treatment, if they are not lucky enough to be clients of a generous national health service"pg. 369 An outraged public is making this a major concern of the presidential election. To intelligently deal with our current medical dilemma, read and absorb this studiously  prepared history of ways of healing.
1536730
Dr. Dach's intense experience as a conventional medical doctor enhances his thorough research and information about conventional FDA approved medications and alternative therapies. His explanations of what has caused a disease and why conventional meds or treatment might or might not be effective, and what alternative therapy might be considered are very helpful and his candid evaluations are backed up with references to related studies.