Congrats to Catalyst

Melissa Sweet
Friday, October 2, 2009

Cancer, Tests, Media-related issues

If you missed Catalyst on ABC Television last night, there were two excellent reports that are well worth taking the time to watch.

This investigation of the prostate cancer screening debate was much more helpful than the sort of media coverage that we so often see of this fraught issue (and which I’ve been guilty of myself).

Rather than simply juxtaposing the competing views of experts who either advocate or question screening, the reporter carefully investigated some of the complexities involved, and the many issues that men need to consider and weigh up. A certain male rather close to me found the report far more helpful than anything else he’s come across to date (including anything I’ve written, sigh).

And this report about the fallibility of medical tests should also be essential viewing – especially for those Croakey readers of a certain age who may be wondering about blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and other such tests.

And if you’ve ever wondered what Dr Norman Swan (the presenter of Radio National’s Health Report) looks like in a singlet, here’s your chance…

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Comments 6

fjk1940 says:

15 years ago

I’ve been battling this cancer for 17 years and this programme confirmed we need a better screening test.
Mention should have been made of pelvic floor exercises for men prior to surgery–may not help later
incontinence in every case, but I don’t think it will do any harm.
Dr.Raji Kooner, who did the first robot operation that I know of at St Vincent’s Private is an outstanding
urologist who did wonderful work to help save my youngest daughter. I am very grateful for all his work.

Reply
Doctor C says:

15 years ago

Dr N. Swan is biased against vitamin C and some other natural supplements on his ABC page and in his book Health Minutes (which is selling in Melbourne for $5 – much overpriced ).
He claims that “vitamin C in high doses might actually PROMOTE cancer” (p 57) and he does not give any references for that. What an unscientific rubbish; I have been taking 3-5 grams of vit C for the last 16 years and have more that 100 studies on effects of this vitamin in my possession.
He also claims that magnetic therapy does not work and generaly is selective in presenting studies which fit into his medical dogmas (like “Cholesterol hypothesis”), and his nutritional “knowledge” which is outdated by 50-60 years.
I can prove my statements any time and I am writing this with my full legal responsibility.

Reply
Doctor C says:

15 years ago

One example of the bias against vit. C is a fact that American peer reviewed Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine is exluded from the US Medical Lybrary/ Medline, etc, since there is a sience and clinical practice which is an evidence that the use of this vitamin in larger populations would be very detrimential to the huge profits of Big Pharma.

Reply
Doctor C says:

15 years ago

LET’S SEE IF THE CROAKEY WILL BE DEMOCRATIC IN ALLOWING FREEDOM OF INFORMATION HERE.

Fire your doctor, use Vit.C and other supplements and live long and healthy.
Don’t let doctors to impose (their) fear of cancer on you and don’t accept their “chemotherapy” and similar rubbish, that is prescribed just to make profit out of every cancer patient.
Medicine as it is practised today is 90% business.

Reply
Doctor C says:

15 years ago

And I will add that I have no financial interest in supplements, not selling them, just have become what I call an “expert patient” trough my long chronic pain suffering.

Reply
Doctor C says:

15 years ago

Let’s see if we are independent of “Big Pharma” ?

Reply

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Congrats to Catalyst

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