Lodge Grass man credits clinical trial for curing his cancer

[Guest guest]

Is it just me or does anyone else see a few issues with this story?

 

http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/article_9684d3a1-573a-575d-94cb-fd36f1e427f8.html

1) " Billings Clinic is contractually bound to keep the name of the drug and its manufacturer confidential. The sponsor of the clinical trial cannot release information about the drug until it is FDA-approved. "

> I've never heard of this clause with any clinical trial?

 

2) " ...his PSA is 1.6. His cancer has been " undetectable " since April 2010. "

Do any experts consider 1.6 as undetectable, particularly in a case with recurrence after RP, radiation and ADT?

 

-- Emersonwww.flhw.orgEvery 2.25 minutes a man is diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Every 16.5 minutes a man dies from the disease.

[Guest guest]

Emerson wrote:

> Is it just me or does anyone else see a few issues with this

> story?

>

>http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/article_9684d3a1-573a-575d-94cb-fd36f1e42\

7f8.html

>l

> 1) " Billings Clinic is contractually bound to keep the name of

> the drug and its manufacturer confidential. The sponsor of the

> clinical trial cannot release information about the drug until

> it is FDA-approved. "

> > I've never heard of this clause with any clinical trial?

>

> 2) " ...his PSA is 1.6. His cancer has been " undetectable " since

> April 2010. " Do any experts consider 1.6 as undetectable,

> particularly in a case with recurrence after RP, radiation and

> ADT?

As far as I know, your comments are right on.

I can think of lots of explanations for the story, all of them

beginning with an incompetent reporter who did not get the facts

right.

Starting at the beginning: The treatment may not have been a

registered clinical trial, but the patient may have believed it

was. In that case either the patient misunderstands what a

clinical trial is (not entirely uncommon), or the doctor treating

him has misled him (less common I hope but not impossible.)

And going all the way to the end: The patient is a little crazy

and the story is mainly in his mind and the mind of the reporter.

Or it could have been anywhere in between.

There are doctors out there treating people with God knows what

and implying that this is part of a clinical trial.

I'm curious. I'll send an email to the reporter and let everyone

know what I find out.

Alan