new MaCleans article

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Cece
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new MaCleans article

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http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/09/06/on-t ... -the-beef/
The five case histories are cursorily reviewed and lack any follow-up post-emerg, making one wonder why eight neurologists were required for the effort. The five patients observed had differing forms of MS, at various stages of progression and were treated in disparate locations (Eastern Europe, Mexico and India). The Calgary researchers admit they don’t have a clue what treatments or quality of care the patients experienced: “We are unable to comment in detail on the exact procedures or protocols employed by those centres because it is not clear standardized procedures are employed across centres.”

Actually, it’s as clear as crystal that CCSVI practices have not been standardized across centres, either for diagnosis or treatment, a dire situation which explains why research is all over the map, as Dr Robert Fox, an MS specialist at the Cleveland Clinic (and CIHR CCSVI panel member), explains in this video.
Unsurprisingly, the U of Calgary study lacks the sort of context that would make it useful: What percentage of total CCSVI post-procedure complications in Calgary did these five cases represent? What percentage of the total number of Alberta residents who’ve traveled abroad for CCSVI do these five patients represent? And how do these outcomes compare with the risks from routine angioplasty and venoplasty performed everyday in Canadian hospitals? Of course, the researchers couldn’t know: nobody has kept track, a situation that should improve with the implementation of CCSVI treatment tracking registries.
Some concise points made regarding the recent publication on complications endured by five patients after CCSVI treatment.
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1eye
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Re: new MaCleans article

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My response was posted to their web site:
In case anybody out there cares about the pedigree of the authors of the Calgary study, one of them is Dr. Fiona Costello, who is a principal on a research team for a CCSVI study that is one of the infamous 7 funded by the "MS" Society. These studies are being pursued by people with, as we now can see, obvious biases against the theories of CCVSI and the procedure to treat it. The studies pre-date the decision by the CIHR, to support the Canadian government holding Canada-wide clinical trials of the procedure. Trials which, incidentally, are very slow getting started, for some reason.

The other thing one might want to know is that Dr. Costello formerly held a position at the Ottawa Hospital's "MS" Clinic, which is run by one of the most vocal opponents of CCSVI, a neurologist, Dr. Mark Freedman. One can imagine the kinds of things he had to say on the subject to Dr. Costello. He is the doctor who called the CCSVI syndrome a hoax, in a Canadian national newspaper.

Dr. Freedman is also very heavily involved in the Canadian "MS" Society, both as a fund raiser and a neurology consultant.

He is also said to be Director of Membership of the Consortium of MS Centers (CMSC). This group was reported to be involved in the recent bribery scandal involving several doctors and a manufacturer of an "MS" drug, Serono. They settled the matter by paying the US government over $40M US. The drug costs tens of thousands of dollars a year for each patient, and Dr. Freedman was involved in the research that led to its approval by the Canadian government's Health Ministry. He also prescribes this drug for "MS" patients.

Dr. Zamboni, the theorist behind CCSVI, advises "MS" patients not to stop taking their prescribed "MS" treatments. He has not spoken against traditional auto-immune disorder treatments. His qualification is as an expert on the venous circulation.

Some of the people involve in Canadian CCSVI research, and in assessments of its treatment, should be qualified to perform the procedure, not just peripherally involved due to their interests in "MS".
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1eye
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Re: new MaCleans article

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There are now 70 comments.
This unit of entertainment not brought to you by FREMULON.
Not a doctor.
"I'm still here, how 'bout that? I may have lost my lunchbox, but I'm still here." John Cowan Hartford (December 30, 1937 – June 4, 2001)
Cece
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Re: new MaCleans article

Post by Cece »

1eye wrote:Some of the people involve in Canadian CCSVI research, and in assessments of its treatment, should be qualified to perform the procedure, not just peripherally involved due to their interests in "MS".
This is important. Vascular experts for a vascular disease. CCSVI in MS is multidisciplinary and we want the neurologists' involvement too but they are not the crucial specialty when it comes to treatment of CCSVI.
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