Dr Holt cancer treatment

[badnews]

Today I've recieved a email with a following petition

Recently A Current Affair aired a story on Perth based surgeon Dr John Holt, whom many believe has the cure for cancer. The NHMRC is conducting a review of Dr Holt's method of cancer treatment Microwave Cancer Therapy. The original date for the review was to be provided to the Minister for Health by 21st December 2004, this deadline passed and then another was set and another passed and so on.
These delays have resulted in Dr Holt, who is 80 years of age and who has cured thousands of people of many forms of cancer is closing his practice on 30th June 2005. This will be a real tragedy especially to all of his patients and potential patients when conventional medicine tells them there is nothing that can be done.
Please help ordinary Australians who finally have a chance to beat cancer keep this treatment here.

We the undersigned demand that the Australian Government, and Department of Health and Ageing, act swiftly and responsibly to ensure that, this treatment and its founder be acknowledged and accepted as a real form of cancer treatment...


I found this article on A Current Affair website:

http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/stories/1744.asp


So I thought before dismissing this letter as another junk I ask some of my sceptic buddies if that has any sence in it. Anyone here who can help?

 

[MRC_Hans]

Lessee:

A novel treatment for cancer that works miracles.

The usual touching anecdoticals.

The usual conservative establishment conspiracy stories.

The usual "I'm totally convinced this works" testimonials.

So far, all woo lights brightly crimson.

So somebody were to test this for him (why don't these people ever run their own tests, like everybody else?), and since they are not quick enough, he will withold his treatment, holding his poor patients hostages? Youp, that figures .

So this good doctor is 80 years old, with little to win in life except immortality to his name at least, but he does not publish the details of his invention, instead bickers about the eevil guvt not testing him? Youp, that figures .

Pure, first grade unadulterated woo, if you ask me.

Hans

 

[Nucular]

Here's a link to the relevant NHMRC page.

Elsewhere on the net it mentions that he's had quite a distinguished career, and various peer-reviewed publications. However, it also mentions that his understanding of the nature and aetiology of cancer is rather controversial.

Sounds like the NHMRC are going to do a proper job on this, to see if there really might be something there or not.

I'm not really sure what the petition hopes to achieve though. Email petitions probably aren't worth the paper they're written on anyway, but this sounds like they're demanding that the NHMRC stop investigating it properly and just

ensure that, this treatment and its founder be acknowledged and accepted as a real form of cancer treatment...

 

[MRC_Hans]

Nice, so add to the points above:

Lies about how the establishment is actually handling it.

Now, it might be that his thing actually has something, but the treatment it gets in the e-mail campaign and linked article is STILL pure woo, which actually makes it even worse.

But it seems the treatment, if there is one, is in good hands.

Edited to add: Of course, if the official tests turn out negative, the conspiracy theories will be in full growth on already well-fertilized soil.

Hans

 

[Kiless]

This was something I was intrigued by for a while.

The final report, as of September 2005.

http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/news/media/rel05/holt.htm

The review committee found no scientific evidence to support the use of microwaves in treating cancer, either alone or when combined with other therapies.

I am containing my rage about how this was treated by the popular media in Australia.

Just barely.

 

[Flange Desire]

This was something I was intrigued by for a while.

The final report, as of September 2005.

http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/news/media/rel05/holt.htm

The review committee found no scientific evidence to support the use of microwaves in treating cancer, either alone or when combined with other therapies.

I am containing my rage about how this was treated by the popular media in Australia.

Just barely.

I find the ABC MediaWatch a good place for bashing 'A Current Affair'.
Post there and they may well feature it on the show (when it returns from its break).