Last year, Fikreta Ibrisevic chose a naturopathic quack named Juan Gonzalez to treat her cancer. She had been planning on conventional therapy, but Gonzalez convinced her that "chemo is for losers" and that he could cure her without the toxicity of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. As a result, she died. Her distraught husband Omer Ahmetovic killed the quack. Here's an update on a truly tragic case that shows why cancer patients should never rely on naturopaths.
Tag: naturopathy
Naturopath Paul Theriault challenges Orac. It does not go well..for Not-a-Doctor Theriault
In the days before Orac left the blog in order to rest and recharge his Tarial cell, he got into a little..."discussion"... on Twitter with a naturopath named Paul Theriault. It did not go well...for Not-a-Doctor Theriault. Be careful what you wish for, naturopaths, when you encounter Orac. You might get it.
The Integrative Oncology Scholars Program: Indoctrinating oncology professionals into pseudoscience
“Integrative oncology” involves “integrating” pseudoscience, mysticism, and quackery with science-based oncology and co-opting science-based lifestyle modalities as “alternative” in order to provide cover for the quackery. Unfortunately, my alma mater, funded by the National Cancer Institute, is running a course to indoctrinate 100 health care professionals in the ways of “integrative oncology.” The Trojan horse of “lifestyle interventions” and “nonpharmacologic treatments for pain” is at the gates. The quackery will leap out as soon as it’s in the fortress.
Dugald Seely: Cosplaying a real oncologist to test naturopathic oncology snake oil
Dugald Seely, ND (Not-a-Doctor) is a Canadian naturopathic oncologist who's made quite the.name for himself cosplaying a real clinical researcher. What he really studies, unfortunately, is combining naturopathic quackery with real medicine. Basically, he's cosplaying a real clinical researcher, and crappy clinical trials are his props.
What the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan teaches about acupuncture
The Department of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan has embraced integrating quackery with medicine in its "integrative medicine" program. But what is it teaching its trainees? Unfortunately, I've started to find out.
Medicaid and the Oregon Health Authority: The scam of replacing opioids with “nonpharmacologic treatments for pain” like acupuncture
The Oregon Health Authority is on the verge of passing a radical policy that would require chronic pain patients receiving Medicaid to have their opioids tapered to zero while covering "nonpharmacologic treatments for pain" that include primarily acupuncture, chiropractic, massage therapy, and other "alternative" treatments. Not surprisingly, the Oregon Chronic Pain Task Force, which is responsible for this proposed infliction of quackery on the most vulnerable, has three acupuncturists and a chiropractor sitting on it.
Anke Zimmermann: Neonatal vitamin K shots cause behavioral problems that need to be treated with… homeopathic vitamin K!
Anke Zimmermann is a naturopath in Canada who treats autism who's quackier than the usual naturopath. When last we saw her, she was using homeopathic rabid dog saliva to treat a fear of werewolves. This time around, she presents a "case report" in which she spent two and a half years treating a cranky child with various homeopathic remedies and concluded that her problems were due to the neonatal vitamin K shot. Naturally, that means to her, like any good homeopath, that the correct treatment is vitamin K diluted away to nothing.
Your Friday Dose of Woo (reborn): LifeDNA and its “personalized” skin care products
LifeDNA claims to use genetic testing to optimize a skin care and supplement regimen for you based on over...1,100 scientific studies! Let's just say that its claims are a lot less impressive when you look at them a little more closely.
“Dr.” Raphael Nyarkotey Obu: Another example showing quackery’s the same all over the world
Orac has Google Alerts set up for various subjects, such as alternative medicine. This time around, it was a Google Alert that introduced him to "Dr." Raphael Nyarkotey Obu, who shows how quackery is the same all over the world, including in Ghana.
An unholy combination of methodolatry and quackery apologia—with jade eggs
Meet Dr. Jason Fung. Dr. Fung is unhappy with skeptics and thinks they're hypocrites behaving like religious fanatics. Unfortunately for him, his arguments are a combination of the worst methodolatry of evidence-based medicine combined with rants against conventional medicine and a defense of quackery.