Talk Cancer

Question:

This question is posed directly to William Kelley Eidem, our illustrious author and self proclaimed profit for the Rivici treatment. You have made claims about how many patients have been totally cured with this method of treatment (I can’t remember if you actually quoted any percentages or not), and that there are too many of these "cured" patients to name. I am in receipt of all the material sent to me by the Rivici Life Science Center and quote the following from the literature: " Some patients experience objective results from Dr. Rivici’s treatment. Periodic X-rays, CT scans, blood test, etc., have confirmed the stabilization of disease for extended periods of time, measurable reduction in tumor size. even full clinical remission." My question is this. If only SOME of the patients experience positive results, and of those only SOME experience clinical remission, would it not be fair to calculate that only a very small portion of his patients experience remissions? Also in the material giving case histories, they quote the quality of life index increased from 25% to 60%. They also give figures that the life expectancy increased from 80 days to 172 days. By their own standards, an increase from 80 days to 172 days is a "miracle" (their words, not mine). When pressed for more positive information, they could only provide a total of 11 case histories that showed positive results that range from a period of two years to a total of 9 years, although some of those indicate the tumors had not reduced in size, but the patient was still alive. I’m sure that they have had success in improving the quality of life (ie. eliminating pain) for a good portion of their patients, and have even had some complete remissions, but they sure don’t climb on a soap box to announce repeatable success stories. If they were as good as you claim, then would it not stand to reason that they would want to announce their "remarkable" success rates. Just wondering. Stephen Hall

Response:

You have made claims about how many patients have been totally cured with this method of treatment (I can’t remember if you actually quoted any percentages or not), and that there are too many of these "cured" patients to name. I am in receipt of all the material sent to me by the Revici Life Science Center and quote the following from the literature: " Some patients experience objective results from Dr. Rivici’s treatment. Periodic X-rays, CT scans, blood test, etc., have confirmed the stabilization of disease for extended periods of time, measurable reduction

in tumor size. even full clinical remission." My question is this. If only SOME of the patients experience positive results, and of those only SOME experience clinical remission,

would it not be fair to calculate that only a very small portion of his patients experience remissions?

     That depends.  If 75% of the patients experience objective results, and 75% of those experience complete remissions, then that’s 56%, isn’t it.  Now on to the more critical question when it comes to trying to interpret success.  Physicians still don’t send their patients to the Revici Center.  No, they send them to oncologists, surgeons, and radiation docs.         After the patient has been wounded in every kind of way and told it’s time to go to the hospice, they come to the Revici Clinic.  We’re talking about a patient population that has zero chance of a cure in most cases.       Despite those long, and very long odds, the Revici Method saves some of them completely and gets rid of much if not all the cancer pain in the others.       When patients try the Revici method first, it works like a charm.  But when people have sickened themselves with chemo and radiation, the task is understandably more difficult. Also in the material giving case histories, they quote the quality of life index increased from 25% to 60%. They also give figures that the life expectancy increased from 80 days to 172 days.

      You’re quoting stuff out of context.  That data came from an Italian study using the Revici Method in severely advanced cancer patients who had been subjected to lots of chemo and radiation prior to start of treatment.  (I know this because the stats you quote come from my book.  The clinic did not attribute where the stats came from.)      In addition you probably didn’t realize that 45% of the patients you refer to were still alive at the end of that study, so the life expectancy figures are grossly understated.   When pressed for more positive information, they could only provide a total of 11 case histories that showed positive results that range from a period of two years to a total of 9 years, although some of those indicate the tumors had not reduced in size, but the patient was still alive.

(A) It’s a clinic, not a research institute.  If it were a research institute, they would conduct greater follow-up.  They are only aware of patients who recontact the clinic.  Most patients don’t do that. (B)  While doing research for the book, I met some long term cancer free former patients.  They hadn’t been in touch with the clinic in many years, often a decade or more. (to be continued)       – Kelley William Kelley Eidem, author "The Doctor Who Cures Cancer," available at www.amazon.com.

Response:

I’m sure that they have had success in improving the quality of life (ie. eliminating pain) for a good portion of their patients, and have even had some complete remissions, but they sure don’t climb on a soap box to announce repeatable success stories. If they were as good as you claim, then would it not stand to reason that they would want to announce their "remarkable" success rates.

     In a more perfect world your surmise would be perfectly reasonable.  It is unfortunate but true that alternative medical clinics, especially those that treat cancer, often have to deal with harrassment from the state, the FDA, etc. Across town, Dr. Robert Atkins, a courageous physician with a much higher name recognition, has had to spend millions in legal fees due to such harrassment.  Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski has spent last year fighting off a 75 count federal indictment which caried with it 290 years in jail if convicted.  He won on every count, but the toll is huge.       The Revici Life Science Center has chosen to be low key and to continue treating the seriously ill.  It is not as well financed as either Burzynski or Atkins.      - Kelley William Kelley Eidem, author "The Doctor Who Cures Cancer," available at www.amazon.com.

Response: