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Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine

A little quackademic medicine in Texas

Calling all Texas skeptics! Well, at least Texas skeptics who can find their way to Galveston on March 29. The reason? Well, the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston is hosting the Nicholson Round-table Integrative Lecture Series:

“Complementary and integrative medicine in cancer care — What does the evidence show?” will be presented by Dr. Moshe A. Frenkel, founder of the integrative oncology clinic at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

He will be joined by panelists Dr. Avi B. Markowitz, chief of the division of hematology/oncology and head of the office of oncology clinical trials at the UTMB Comprehensive Cancer Center; and Dr. Victor S. Sierpina, a professor of integrative medicine at the medical branch and a UT distinguished teaching professor.

The public is invited to attend this discussion from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. March 29 in Levin Hall, Market and 10th streets.

We’ve met Moshe Frenkel before; as you might expect, he’s a heavy hitter in the world of quackademic medicine. At least, he was back when he was the director of the Integrative Oncology Clinic at M.D. Anderson. These days he’s the director of Integrative Oncology Associates. It would be very interesting to see how Dr. Frankel could handle some respectfully skeptical questions.

By Orac

Orac is the nom de blog of a humble surgeon/scientist who has an ego just big enough to delude himself that someone, somewhere might actually give a rodent's posterior about his copious verbal meanderings, but just barely small enough to admit to himself that few probably will. That surgeon is otherwise known as David Gorski.

That this particular surgeon has chosen his nom de blog based on a rather cranky and arrogant computer shaped like a clear box of blinking lights that he originally encountered when he became a fan of a 35 year old British SF television show whose special effects were renowned for their BBC/Doctor Who-style low budget look, but whose stories nonetheless resulted in some of the best, most innovative science fiction ever televised, should tell you nearly all that you need to know about Orac. (That, and the length of the preceding sentence.)

DISCLAIMER:: The various written meanderings here are the opinions of Orac and Orac alone, written on his own time. They should never be construed as representing the opinions of any other person or entity, especially Orac's cancer center, department of surgery, medical school, or university. Also note that Orac is nonpartisan; he is more than willing to criticize the statements of anyone, regardless of of political leanings, if that anyone advocates pseudoscience or quackery. Finally, medical commentary is not to be construed in any way as medical advice.

To contact Orac: [email protected]

3 replies on “A little quackademic medicine in Texas”

So what are the odds that the “What does the evidence show?” section will be answered honestly, in your opinion?

Oh, I don’t think they’ll lie, but that’s only because they actually believe in this stuff so that there’s no intentional deception.

I would recommend that if anyone does decide to attend, do your homework first. Take a look at some of the studies or “evidence” they may be likely to present to understand the arguments and identify the flaws.

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