Link corrected...thanks Treepatrol...It was in health news...via comcast internet server...I was trying to find another way to link it.
[ 19. July 2006, 02:35 PM: Message edited by: Marnie ]
Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :
Excerpt How confident can anyone be that treatment recommendations by industry-paid scientists--in both published reports and public testimony--are not influenced by financial interests?
It does seem that many physicians base their drug prescribing on bogus studies presented by the drug companies.
Following surgery and radiation for stage one breast cancer (tumor had clear margins and sentinel node biopsy was negative), my oncologist absolutely insisted on prescribing Tamoxifen to prevent reoccurance. I started taking it and had horrible side effects. I did not feel like I could live like that, but yet, she told me to press ahead.
I read up on it and saw many, many studies proclaiming this a mircle drug. But when you get to mortality studies at 5 and 10 years, there is no difference. Some people died as a result of Tamoxifen, but died cancer-free.
I did some research on the drug, and as it turns out, it is very dangerous. Yes, it may reduce the risk of reoccurance, but it greatly increases the risk of uterine cancer, strokes and bloodclots. Seems this doctor is narrowminded. In her stats, she is just concerned whether I have a reoccurance of cancer. If I die from something else, HER treatment was still successful.
Needless to say, I made the controversial decision to d/c this drug. And she isn't interested in offering me alternatives.
I have never cared much for her since I first met her. When reviewing my medical history, she noticed what I had written about my Lyme and Babs. And made a smart remark about it. Said she knew all about that as she went to YALE.
I said "Oh, I BET you do...hope you have access to accurate info as this can be a very debilitating disease". She made a face. And I could tell she was bursting at the seams wanting to disagree with me. But didn't.
It is really hard to trust a doctor who is so entrenched in misinformation, and does not have a clue. She is no more than a robot peddling the same info to every patient she sees. Based on studies manufactured by the drug companies.