Why We Are Not Winning the War on Cancer

Here's a link to an interesting interview conducted by cancer blogger, Elyn Jacobs with Dr Keith Block, author of Life over Cancer. elynjacobs.wordpress.com/20...

[LouiseOvacome My Ovacome Team]

Dear My Ovacome members,

I am posting this to preempt what I can anticipate will be a stormy response in the hope that we can avoid any hurt feelings.

Please be aware that Ovacome has significant anxiety about the scientific validity and honesty of this article.

The article, whilst raising some interesting and thought provoking points, has significant factual flaws, and is highly selective in its sourcing. For example the opening statement "mortality rates have declined by less than 5% in the last 60 years!" is absolutely categorically untrue.

Please see here for UK 40 year change in survival rates:

bbc.co.uk/news/health-15726810

Such statements are alarmist at best.

I could further dispute the arguments within the blog, but that would be to miss the point - This information has been posted with the best of intentions, in generosity of spirit, and a belief that the community will find it interesting and useful, and I am sure that many will.

Whilst we are keen to facilitate the sharing of knowledge, experience and support, we all have a responsibility to the community as a whole; to frequent posters and silent lurkers who read but feel unable to post to ensure balance, in particular for the newly diagnosed, the particularly anxious or vulnerable members of the community, who might be unduly alarmed or influenced by statements such as those contained within the piece.

I therefore ask members to think very carefully as they read it, and keep an open mind as to the veracity/bias of the content.

Thank you all for your understanding.

[Hidden in reply to LouiseOvacome]

Hello Louise

I'd just like to assure you that I had no particular axe to grind in posting the link and it was really the info about diet and exercise that caught my attention. I confess I had skimmed over some of the other content and hadn't considered that it might be problematic. I apologise if it causes any problems and I would be quite willing to delete the entire link if Ovacome would be more comfortable with that.

Best wishes

Linda

[LouiseOvacome My Ovacome Team in reply to Hidden]

Hi Linda,

I didn't think for a moment it was posted with anything but the best of intentions, but there are some very controversial contentions within it which needed a bit of a caveat. Hope you don't mind!

Louise x

[Hidden in reply to LouiseOvacome]

Not at all. I'll keep an eye out for content that might need to be accompanied by a 'health warning' in future!

[Whippit in reply to LouiseOvacome]

Dear Louise and Linda,

I think it's fine to post up this article. It makes interesting for thought and reading. I for one wasn't angry. It seems to combine many ideas I've heard about diet, exercise and attitude.

I'm sure everyone on the site will take the most positive aspects of the article. Given there's no known 'cure' for our cancer I think it's vital we're open minded and respond to every new opinion with respect and contemplation.

Thanks for posting it up Linda. Thanks for your ideas Louise. The article made interesting and thought-provoking reading for me. xx Annie

[Hidden in reply to Whippit]

Thanks Annie. That's a relief. I'd be mortified if I caused the site members more anxiety than they already have to cope with.

Love

Linda

[Hidden]

Dear Linda and Louise

I'm really glad that you posted this article Linda, and that you commented on it Louise. I came across it some while back and was indeed alarmed by the mortality "statistics" and the dismal picture it painted of conventional treatment, so it was good to read what you had to say, Louise. At the same time, I do think that there is a lot that is positive within the article, and have learned through the months that the "alternative" approach sites are often as dismissive of conventional medicine as is the case the other way around so I stop myself from treating them as gospel. It is good to have healthy and open discussion here!

Moniquex

[nandi]

I appreciate the article and also Louise's comments.

I have read the whole of Dr. Block's book Life Over Cancer. I took it very seriously and tried to adhere to the diet, etc. However, it soon became apparent to me that in order to take the supplements and strictly follow the diet I would need to be very much more wealthy than I am and have much more time to source, gather and prepare everything, or a big band of helpers. Having said that I did take on board some of the more easily followed and reasonable suggestions which seemed to make a lot of sense.

I have however stopped using Agave Syrup that he said was a good suger substitute, after reading numerous unfavourable articles on line about the extraction proscess.

Thanks to everyone for posting information and for for the comments that follow. Together we can make more sense of what we learn.

Best wishes to all

[wendydee]

Thanks to all of you for your carefully considered views, especially yours, Louise. It's great to have you to keep the reality of the situation uppermost!

For myself, I often read stuff that has some interesting ideas in the text but only take as gospel what comes from NHS, Macmillan, Cancer Research UK etc. they have a proven track record and the other sites sometimes give other interesting ideas an airing.

It's good to see a range of views if you keep a healthy scepticism!

Love Wendy xx