Tuesday, November 16, 2004

The Realities of Alternative Medicine for Serious Illness: A Guide for Laymen - by Saul Green, Ph.D.

The following article is copyright 1998 by Dr. Saul Green. It may be reprinted with proper attribution and notification to the author.

The Realities of Alternative
Medicine for Serious Illness:
A Guide for Laymen


By Saul Green, Ph.D.

About the Author


Many serious diseases are not detectable in their early stages. When symptoms do appear, the attempted cures may be painful, disabling or mutilating and most certainly will be costly. If the patient endures the toxicity of chemotherapy, or the disfigurement of surgery and radiation and the treatment fails, then he and his family are left with the terrible anxiety attendent to the continued presence and possible progression of a devastating disease.

In this circumstance, the need for hope is all-powerful. It understandably drives the patient and his family to seek some sort of "alternatives". These desperate and vulnerable people become fair game to the medical charlatans who offer "all natural, safe treatments that heal."

To the fearful patient, healing and curing are one and the same. A high level of intelligence does not guarantee that the patient will recognize the false promise implied by the use of the word "heal". In most cases, questioning of the practitioner will reveal that the word "heal" is used in a spiritual or metaphorical sense rather than a physical one. Charlatons often claim that their therapy stimulates either the "immune system" or some "innate" ability of the body to heal itself. Thus, the charlaton avoids responsibility when the treatment fails by shifting responsibility for the failure onto the patient - a despicable thing to do to someone already facing the trauma of a devastating illness.

Alternative medical treatments flourish because cures for many diseases do not exist and because responsible physicians will not offer false hope of medical miracles. The widespread popularity of alternative treatments is directly related to the inadequacy of many standard treatments; the impatient physician who answers questions brusquely, evasively or not at all; the scientific illiteracy of the public; the desperation of patients; and most significantly, the willingness of sociopaths in our society to take advantage of vulnerable patients.

Alternative treatments encompass a broad spectrum of remedies whose effectiveness has never been proven. Remedies can involve ancient mystical rites from the Far East, the invoking the help of various Gods, the purging of "poisons" with enemas and the injection of extracts from human body fluids, live animal cells, animal tissues, industrial chemicals, raw herbs, escharotics, and gaseous ozone. Homeopaths administer water which they say they have treated to make it "remember the vital essence of some active substance" it once contained but no longer does.

One hallmark of quackery is that practitioners treat patients according to the particular system they favor rather than the distinct clinical conditions of the patient. Proponents will claim their treatment heals everything from cancer to AIDS. Although they will defend the practices of others, rarely if ever will one practitioner recommend some other form of treatment as more efficacious for a particular patient's condition.

The alternative practitioner projects a variety of appealing images of himself to win the confidence of medical consumers. For example,

  • As the " Healer", he plays the role of a selfless, caring physician who has no interest in making money. His "grateful patients" then eagerly follow his script whenever there is a legal challenge to his practices. They ignore questions about his credentials and his inept pseudoscience. They swear that their "regular" doctors said, "there was no hope" but still recommended the "cutting, burning or poisoning" treatments of orthodox medicine. They state that these recommendations were all proven wrong when they were "healed" by the treatment of the alternative practitioner.
  • As the" Scientist", he poses as a superior researcher whose " medical success" is based on his understanding of the healing arts of the "ancients" coupled with his knowledge of modern medical science. To blunt the impact of the rebuttals he knows his claims will provoke, he assures his "flock" that his concepts are so advanced that, like those of all great scientists in the past, they are not understood by orthodox scientists and so are repudiated.
  • As the "Concerned Citizen" he recruits a cadre of wealthy and prominent laymen (industrialists and Congressmen) as supporters. Regardless of why they mistrust established science and medicine, these people forcefully promote their "protege's" interests by lobbying government agencies, raising money, publishing "Newsletters" advertising his treatment and instigating letter writing campaigns that characterize his critics as being against Freedom of Choice and therefore un-American.
No one characteristic signals the presence of fraud in medical treatment, but anyone who reviews the bases for the claims can detect it if they understand a few basic principles about evaluating evidence.

Alternative remedies fall into two categories:
  1. Substances" which are said to affect cellular functions like the immune system (e.g., Laetrile, 714-X, Antineoplastons, Hydrogen peroxide, Ozone, Hydrazine sulfate). The mechanisms by which these treatments supposedly work have been published, and can be scientifically evaluated.
  2. Mystical practices which are used "to call up the patients latent healing powers" (e.g, Chi, homeopathy, accupuncture, chiropraxis, visualization, meditation, faith healing, Kirlian auras, numerology, gem therapy and Kabalah). There is no way to prove that these powers exist and can cause healing, so their acceptance depends entirely on the patients' willingness to blindly believe testimonials.
Charlatans depend heavily on patient testimonials as "proof" that their therapies work. However, they know that just offering a new treatment will boost a patient's spirits, cause an increase in appetite and even reduce the perception of pain. These subjective improvements are not proof that a treament works.

Proof comes with supporting and concommitant evidence. It is the consistancy and predictability with which patients respond to a treatment that is significant. Any unpredictable improvement that occurs sporadically may not be due to the treatment itself and therefore cannot be claimed as proof of its efficacy.

Every scientist lives with the challenge," PROVE IT!" To do so, he knows he must present data that supports his conclusions and can be independently reproduced by other scientists. What is relevant in proving the curative value of any treatment is not the reputation of its proponent, the persuasiveness of his theory, the eminence of his political supporters, the anecdotes of his patients or the lack of confidence that layman may have in the medical establishment. It is whether the treatment can be shown to work in rigorously controlled, objectively interpreted independent clinical trials.

The design of a valid clinical trial must include knowledge of the biology of normal tissue, the cause of the disease, the variations of the disease process in different tissues, the biochemical changes which mirror the diseases progress and the means by which investigators can evaluate the effect of the treatment. Clinical researchers must know the chemical composition, tissue specificity, metabolism, toxicity and excretion rates of each of the substances being used so he can integrate this into the patients clinical history and experiences with other medications. Finally each patient must be closely followed for a significant period of time after the treatment ends, so all the significant after effects can be noted. Only after all these conditions are fullfilled can a valid conclusion be reached about the efficacy of the treatment.

In September l990, the NIH Office of Technology Assessment published a review of the wide variety of alternative medical treatments offered in the U.S. for a disease like cancer (ie. Burzynski, Gold, Gerson, Burton, Gonzalez, Revici and others). Although these treatments were entirely different from each other, proponents claimed they evoked the same degree of "healing" in patients. What was of great significance in this was the fact that nowhere in all their claims of support for these treatments, was there mention of their having personally tested and verified the efficacy of any of the treatments they endorsed.

In l992, "true believers" in Congress created the Office of Alternative Medicine at the NIH. Its mandate, they said, was the verification of the effectiveness of alternative treatments. As was pointed out earlier, any appropriately designed clinical trial must contain the means to show that a given treatment might be worthless. Perhaps this is why no attempt has as yet been made by the OAM to clinically evaluate the effectiveness of any alternative treatment.

But independent investigators here and abroad have done so. In well-designed and controlled trials of various alternative remedies (hydrazine sulfate, chelation therapy, laetrile and others) researchers obtained results which clearly demonstrated that those treatments were worthless. Predictably, those conclusions were rejected by those who used these treatments. They charged that the test substances were given incorrectly, that antagonistic drugs were given to negate the effectiveness of the treatment and that the clinical data was incorrectly interpreted. All this, they charged, proved that the Medical, Pharmaceutical and Insurance establishments were engaged in a conspiracy to keep their "safe, effective and inexpensive" new treatments from reaching the public.

Most people are outraged when they discover that they have been victims of fraud. Strangely, this is not the case with those who have been duped into spending huge sums for worthless alternative treatments. They are either too embarrassed by their gullibility to admit it, either to others or to themselves, or they rationalize "gratitude" for the brief respite that the treatment seemed to provide their deceased loved ones. Often they remain among the most adamant proponents of the failed cure.

An examination of medical history illustrates the price patients are willing to pay for hope, even when the hope is false. In his "Medical Essays" (Boston l883) Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote:

  • There is nothing that men will not do to recover their health and save their lives. They have submitted to being half drowned in water, choked with gases, buried to their chins in earth, seared with hot irons, crimped with knives, had needles thrust into their flesh, had fires kindled on their skin, and swallowed all sorts of abominations. Then they pay for all this as if scalding were a privilege, blisters a blessing and leeches a luxury. What more can be asked for as proof of their sincerity?

To expose the fraud in the sale of "hope", health care professionals must learn about the claims being made for alternative medical treatments. With that knowledge they can teach the truth to patients that ask. Having the assurance that they are getting the best care possible from a knowledgeable professional who understands their needs and is honestly trying to to solve their clinical problems is the only way to keep patients out of the hands of medical charlatans.

Patients considering alternative therapies for serious medical illness must demand evidence. They must ask the practitioners exactly what they are promising. They must ask what recourse they have if the promised "healing" doesn't occur, and must insist on accountability from the practitioner. If patients could be persuaded to demand evidence and accountability for the effectiveness of an alternative treatment, there would be fewer victims of medical fraud.



Sunday, November 14, 2004

Saul Green letter to The Scientist re: Alternative Medicine

The Scientist 10[4]:, Feb. 19, 1996

Letter

Alternative Medicine

By Saul Green

Author: Saul Green
Joy McIntyre's article 'OAM Commences $8 Million Investigation Into Alternative Therapies' (The Scientist, Jan. 22, 1996, page 3) neglects the most serious consequences of the plans the National Institutes of Health's Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM) has to test treatments by 'rigorous scientific methods.'

That consequence is the fact that the very nature of these treatments will require a 'testing process' that could go on for as much as 10 years. Meanwhile, patients will continue to be 'had.'

When rigorous scientific trials on laetrile, vitamin C, hydrazine sulfate, chelation therapy, chiropractic, and homeopathy proved them worthless, did the alternativists accept the results and quit foisting them on medical consumers? No way! They are still prompting them today. So what will all of OAM's testing accomplish?

In my opinion, Wayne Jonas, James Gordon, David Eisenberg, Fredi Kronenberg, et al. will gain the wholehearted support of the entire community of medical scientists if they will publicly commit themselves to the following conditions:


1. In order to make the medical community aware of what is going on in the field of alternative medical research, OAM should arrange to publish all the research results of the OAM grant recipients.

2. Within 18 months of receipt of grant funds, grantees must submit for publication by OAM the methods they used, the results they got, and the conclusions they drew.

3. Each researcher engaged in the funded research project will submit to OAM a full financial disclosure of personal income related to the clinical practice of the treatment in question.

4. The results and conclusions of each research project will be submitted for evaluation to a select committee of independent scientists (not chosen by OAM, NIH, or a congressional committee).

5. All evaluations will be made public. If results are positive, they will be endorsed and promoted by OAM.

6. If the results are clearly and unequivocally negative, the treatments will be declared worthless and proponents will be instructed to stop promoting, selling, or using the remedy.


Would anyone reading this letter care to predict the reception it gets from OAM and the alternative medical community?

Saul Green
President
ZOL Consultants
340 W. 57th St.
Suite 8J
New York, N.Y. 10019

Saul Green Letter to Wash Post re: Burzynski

Doctor Indicted Over Cancer Drug

Washington Post Article
Dr. Saul Green's Letter to the Editor
About Dr. Saul Green

_________________________________________

Doctor Indicted Over Cancer Drug
Mail Fraud, Rule Violations Alleged; Physician Claims FDA Retaliation
Washington Post, 11/21/95
by John Schwarts, Washington Post Staff Writer



A Houston physician who claims he is the victim of a retaliation campaign by the Food and Drug administration was indicted yesterday on 75 counts of mail fraud and violation of federal medical regulations.

U.S. Attorney Gaynelle Griffin Jones said that Stanislaw R. Burzynski and the Burzynski Research Institute introduced an unapproved anti-cancer drug into Interstate commerce, submitted false and misleading claims to health insurers for payment, and violated a federal court order prohibiting interstate trade in the drug without following FDA regulations.

The FDA has never certified Burzynski's drug, which he calls 'antineoplastins,' as safe or effective. Trading insuch unapproved drugs across state lines violates federal law. Byrzynski's critics say that he is playing on the fears of desperate cancer and AIDS patietns, and that he charged those patients $40 million for antineoplastons from 1998 to 1994.

Burzynski has sold the drugs for treatment of a wide range of conditions including several kinds of cancer, AIDS, lupus, multiple sclerosis, Elephant Man disease and baldness.

Last year, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Nw Orleans ruled that Burzynski defrauded a patient's health insurer as to the legality of his treatments.

Burzynski's attorney, Rick Jaffe, said in an interview yesterday that "I haven't really read the indictment. We'll look at it carefully." He added, however, that he believes -- based on what he has heard of the charges -- that they are wrong, because his client treats patients in Texas and has not sent drugs outside of the Lone Star State without FDA approval.

Burzynski originally derived antineoplastons from human urine. His claims of successful treatment of supposedly hopeless cancer cases have been widely publicized on network television and in print.

Last July, one of Burzynski's patients, brain cancer survivor Paul Michaels, appearing before a congressional subcommittee investigating whether the FDA retaliates against its critics, testified that the doctor's treatments had saved his life. "It's like I'm at war against cancer, and the government keeps trying to take away the only weapon I have." Jaffe testified at the same hearng that his client was being persecuted by the FDA for going against the conventional wisdom of the medical establishment.

But researchers who have tried to duplicate Burzynski's findings have said that they could not do so -- in part because Burzynski has not cooperated fully with researchers. Michael A. Friedman, associate director of the National Cancer Institute's cancer therapy evaluation program at the time of the July hearings, told The Washington Post: "Our formal position has to be we just don't "know" about the treatment's effects. Friedman, now an official at the FDA, declined to comment yesterday because of the indictment.

Though the efficacy of antineoplastons has not been proved in independent clinical trials, Jaffe said that "FDA can't dispute that it's nontoxic -- it helps some people, and doesn't really hurt anybody."

---------------------------------------
December 1, 1995


John Schwartz
c/o The Washington Post
1150-15th St. NW
Washington, DC 20071

Letters Editor:

Doctor Indicted Over Cancer Drug" by John Schwartz (Washington Post, 11/21/95) only gives readers the briefest view of the mountain of information on Burzynski's treatment for cancer. A review I published in JAMA in 1992 covered most of the facts in detail and Rep. Barton (R., Texas) Chariman of the House Commerce/Oversight Subcommittee has been made aware of them. Barton's conclusion that the FDA is unfairly "retaliating" against Burzynski is not based on the facts he has.

Burzynski made up his theory that chemicals in urine "normalize" cancer cells in 1976, when he had no credentials in oncology, no proof his theory was true and no evidence that injection of urine extracts were safe. Less than one year later he had treated 21 cancer patients with extracts made from urine collected from underground tanks at public parks.

Burzynski has had FDA permission to do clinical trials on antineoplastons for years now. He has never carried out these trials which he himself proposed becuase, he said, he could not afford the cost. That is interesting in view of the fact that he admitted to Dan Rutz on CNN-TV in 1990 that he made $10 million dollars the previous year.

Burzynski claims the active agent in urine is phenylacetic acid (PA). His medicine, AS 2.1 (Lot # 224-P, EXO 891) contains 8 grams of PA. This amount of PA can be bought from Sigma Chemical Co. by anyone for 75 cents. So, Burzynski's patients, all of whom self-adminsiter about 25 grams of PA a day get about $19.00 worth. Rep. Barton, since there is no proof that AS 2.1 "normalizes" the patients' cancer cells, perhap you can tell these patients what they are paying $342.00 a day for?

At a July 25 FDA hearing, Barton heard the mother of one of Burzynski's 2500 patients endorse Burzynski. Where were the endorsements of Burzynski's other 2499 "satisfied customers"? One of them, Jimmy Kilinowski also had his brain tumor treated by Burzynski. Afterward, Jimmy visited the White House where his mother told the press "Burzynski's treatment had 'dissolved' three of the tumor's in Jimmy's brain." (N.Y. News, Oct. 24, 1990). Jimmy died some months later leaving the Kilinowski's in debt to Burzynski for more than $95,000. Ninetyfive thousand dollars, Rep. Barton!! For What?

There is a world of difference between the motives of desperately ill cancer patients, coldly objective scientists and politicans. But they all have one need in common. They need to know WHY THEY SHOULD BELIEVE BURZYNSKI?

Saul Green, Ph.D

Dr. Green's Alternative Treatment Papers

Dr. Green's Alternative Treatment Papers

45. Green, S. Unproven Methods: Cancer and Surveillance by the Immune System in Man. COPE, April/May 1989: 42-44

46. Green, S. A review; The Cancer Industry: Unraveling the Politics by Ralph W. Moss 1989, Paragon House, N.Y. Nutrition Forum:May/June 1991:8:18

47. Green S. Special Communication: Antineoplastons -- An Unproven CancerTherapy. JAMA 1992:267:2924-2928

48. Green S. Special Communication: The Gerson Treatment for Cancer: A rationale for use of coffee enemas and diet. JAMA 1992:268:3224-3227

49. Monaco GP , Green S. Recognizing deception in the promotion of untested and unproven medical treatments. N.Y.State Med J. 1993:93(#2):88-91

50. Green, S. Special Communication: Immunoaugmentative Therapy (IAT); An Unproven Cancer Treatment. JAMA 1993: 270 (#14):1719-1723

51. Green, S. Chelation Therapy: Unproven Claims and Unsound Theories. Nutrition Forum. 1993, (Sept./Oct):10(#5):33-37.

52. Green, S. Oxygenation Therapy: Healing or Hot Air. Part I, Glyoxylide and H2O2. Nutrition Forum. 1996, (March/April); 13:#2:15-19.

53. Green, S. Oxygenation Therapy: Healing or Hot Air. Part I Tales from the "O" Zone. Nutrition Forum. 1996. (May/June)13:#3:25-28.

54. Green, S. Shark Cartilage; Therapy for Cancer. Nutrition Forum. 1997. (January/February 1997) 14:#1:1-5.

55. Green, S. Pseudoscience in Alternative Medicine: Chelation Therapy, Antineoplastons, The Gerson Diet and Coffee Enemas. The Skeptical Inquirer (Sept./Oct. 1997) 21:#5:39-42.

56. Green, S. Hydrazine Sulfate; Is It An Anticancer Agent? The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine. (Fall/Winter 1997); 1:1:19-21.

57. Green, S. Outline of Principles and Criteria for Research and Evaluation of New Medicines. The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine. (Fall/Winter 1997) 1:1:32-35.

58. Green, S. A Guide to Alternative Medicine for the Layman. The Tarant County Physician. (Dallas, Texas) pp 13-15, June 1998

59. Green, S. Oxygenation Therapy: Unproven Treatments for Cancer and Aids. The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine. (Spring/Summer 1998) 2:#1: 6-13.

60. Green, S. Extracts of Glands, Coffee Enemas, Mega-Doses of Vitamins and Diets: A Treatment for Cancer Offered by Nicholas Gonzalez, M.D. The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine. (Fall/Winter, 1998) 2:#2:

61. London, Wm. M. with Green, S. The Penthouse Politics of Cancer: The promotion of hydrazine sulfate and a medical conspiracy theory. Priorities. vol. 10, #4, pps. 7-13, 34, 35. 1998

62. Green, S. What Physicians Should Know About Alternative Medicine: Science, Politics and Alternative Medicine. (In Press, 1999)

63. Green, S. Can alternative treatments induce immune surveillance over cancer in man. Biomedical Research. (Inaugural Issue. Chas. Sturt University. NSW Australia.) vol. 1 #1, September 1999.

64. Green, S. Can alternative treatments induce immune surveillance over cancer in humans? The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine. vol. 4, #1. Spring/Summer, 2000.

65. Green, S. Facts or Fraud: A Look at Alternative Medicine. A speech to the Harvard Alumni Association, May 9, 2000, N.Y., N.Y. (See http://www.drkoop.com/ Perspective.

66. Raso, J. and Green S. ACSH, California Cancer Reform Bill: Bad law, Bad Medicine. June 12, 2000. (See http://www.drkoop.com/)

67. Green, S. Chelation Therapy: An Editorial. Nov. 22, 2000. (See http://www.drkoop.com/)

68. Green, S. You, Your Doctor and Alternative Medicine: An Editorial. Jan. 11, 2001. (See http://www.drkoop.com/ )

69. Green, S. Autogenous Vaccine: A Defense Against the Bacterial Organism that Causes Cancer. The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine . vol. 5.#2. Spring 2001.

70. Green, S. Stated Goals and Grants of the Office of Alternative Medicine/National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine. vol 5, No. 4 (Fall,2001)

71. Green, S. and Sampson, W. EDTA Chelation Therapy for Atherosclerosis and Degenerative Diseases: Implausibility and Paradoxical Oxidant Effects . A Review. The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine. vol 6, No. 1 (Winter, 2002)

72. Green, S. How Did "Complementary Medicine" Enter Our Hospitals? American Council On Science and Health: HEALTH FACTS AND FEARS. http://healthfactsand/fears.com/featured_articles/oct2002/compmed.

Dr. Green's CV

Saul Green, Ph.D
340 West 57th Street, Ste. 8J
New York,N.Y., l00l9
212)-957-8029
e-mail: saul.green@worldnet.att.net

CURRICULUM VITAE

Education:
City College of New York B.S l948
Major: Chemistry
Minor: Biology
State University of Iowa M.S. l950
Major: Biochemistry
State University of Iowa Ph.D. l952
Major: Biochemistry
Minor: Microbiology
Organic chemistry
Immunology

Ph.D. Thesis: A relationship between the existing level of the naturallyoccurring anticoagulant, Heparin, in the blood and the hemorrhagicdiathesis of radiation sickness.

Predoctoral Experience:
Teaching Assistant 1949-1950 Undergraduate Chemistry
Research Assistant 1950-1952 Naturally Occurring Anticoagulants in Blood and Urine
Assistant to State Toxicologist
Iowa State Police l951-1952 Alcohol and poison analysis in forensic medicine

Professional Profile:
1997- Present Science Editor, The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine. Publisher, Prometheus Books.

Present Member, Board of Directors, NCAHF

1996- Present Advisor American Council on Science and Health

1982- Present President, Zol Consultants, Inc. Advised, assisted and directed establishment of basic cancer research programs; interferon production and purification procedures from human cells; isolation and purification of naturally produced Biological Response Modifiers (TNF) from mouse and human serums. Lectures to individuals representing State and Federal law offices, Hospitals,Insurance Companies and GraduateSchools on the scientific validity of claims made for "alternative treatments" for cancer, AIDS and other diseases. Assisted preparation of questions for deposition of witnesses; expert witness in matters of scientific validity of claims made for unorthodox treatments for cancer. TV panelist on subject of Alternative Medicine; closed circuit TV lecture on unorthodox treatments offered for cancer and AIDs; chaired workshop discussions on role of Immunology as it relates to cancer in children for the Candlelighter Society, 1988-1991

1988-1991 Scientific Director, Emprise Inc. Washington,DC. Under NCI-SBIR grant, (R 44 CA 41953), collected, evaluated and documented material from peer reviewed and non peer reviewed publications on the subject of Unorthodox and Alternative therapies for Cancer. In collaboration with Mrs. Grace P. Monaco, health fraud attorney and consumer Ombudsman, produced a database on the subject of unproven methods for treating cancer intended for inclusion into the existing NCI database information service called PDQ.

1984-1987 Senior Scientist, Manager of Protein Separation Group, Director of Research and Development for Biological Response Modifiers, ie TNF. Philadelphia Biologic Center, Inc. Designed research and production laboratories Trained technicians and directed research on isolation , purification and characterization of Biological Response Modifier with antitumor activity from normal human cells in culture.

1983-1988 Visiting Professor and Lecturer Division of Surgical Oncology, Dept. of Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA.- Presented lectures to students and medical school faculty on the claims for scientific basis of Alternative Treatments in collaboration with Dr. Harold Wanebo, Departmental Research Programs.

1983-1984 Director of Research and Development U.S. Biologic Products, Inc. N.Y. Designed laboratory for the production interferon and for the partial purification and analysis of its biological potency. Directed research.

1973-1982 Associate Member and Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry Sloan-Kettering Division of Cornell Graduate School of Medical Science; Chairman, Mammalian Antitumor Factors Research Labs Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York,N.Y.

1973-1979 First isolation of Tumor Necrosis Factor from blood of experimental animals and then identification of a similar anti tumor activity the serum of normal human blood. Expanded research on this factor with Dr.Harold Wanebo, Chief, Dept. of Surgery, Roger Williams Memorial Hosp.Providence RI.

1959-1973 Associate (1967-1977) ; Assistant(1959-1967). Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, N.Y.,N.Y.

1959-1972 Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, C.C.N.Y. Open enrollment program. Department of Chemistry, Hunter College of New York. Manhattan Marymount College, Department of Biology. N.Y.N.Y.

1954-1959 Research Associate, Department of Medicine and Endocrinology, Cornell Medical School, N.Y. N.Y. Cause and effects of irreversible hemorrhagic shock. Research on iron metabolism and increased production of highly oxidizing free radicals through chelation of Fe with EDTA. Studies on release of iron from liver Ferritin stores and effects of iron in plasma on the oxidation of circulating adrenaline.

1952-1954 Director, Clinical Chemistry Laboratories, Univ. of Virginia Hospital, Charlosttesville, Va. Instructor, Department of Biochemistry, Univ. of Virginia Medical School.

Professional organizations:
Phi Lambda Upsilon
Sigma Xi
The American Chemical Society
The Harvey Society
New York Academy of Science
American Society of Biological Chemists
American Association for Cancer Research
American Association for Advancement of Science
Nat'l Council Against Health Fraud; Bd. of Directors.
Amer. Council on Science and Health. Bd of Advisors
American Cancer Society, Alternative and Complementary Methods of Cancer Mgmt. Subcommittee
Fellow, CSICOP advisor

Grants, Awards, Speaking Engagements:
NIH Career Development Award, 1963-1968
Invited Speaker, Internatl. Cancer. Congress Tokyo, Japan, 1967.
Invited Speaker, Euro. Biochem. Soc., Hamburg, Germ. 1972
Invited Speaker, Brit. Biochem. Soc., Canterbury, Eng. 1972
Invited Speaker, Fogarty Internat'l Ctr., Bethesda, Md. 1973
Damon Runyon Memorial Award, #1143, 1970-1972.
Invited Speaker, 4th Internat'l Biochem. Symp. Hamburg, Germ. 1976
Amer. Cancer Soc. Grant, 1976-1978, BC#225
NIH Biomedical Research Support Grant, 1978-1979
Nat'l. Cancer Institute Grant, 1978-1981, CA-23906
Lecturer, Nat'l Microbiological Labs. Stockholm , Sweden. 1980.
Lecturer, N.Y. Times Wellness Program."Alternative Medicine"7/26/94
Panelist, Lyceum Club, NY Acad. Sci." Alternative Medicine "2/22/95
Panelist, 9th Ann.Stanford Health Policy Forum. Alternative Medicine; Assessing Unconventional Therapies. Palo Alto,CA. 4/22/95
Panelist, AAAS Symposium, "Alternative Medicine in a Scientific in a Scientific World. Evaluating the Science of Alternative Medicine. Seattle , WA. 2/14/97.
Panelist, Amer. Assn. Clin. Chem. "Societal Impact of Cancer". Alternative Medicine In The Treatment of Cancer; Hype or Hope. Atlanta, GA. 7/22/97.
Lecturer, The Philadelphia Assn. for Critical Thinking. "What is proof when considering claims of Alternative Healthcare? Bensalem, PA. March 21, 1998.
Lecturer, Rocky Mountain Skeptics Conference: "Fighting Back"; Boulder, CO. What is alternative about Alternative Medicine?) June 12-13, 1998.
Panelist- Amer Soc Med. Colleges. Alter.Medicine in Research, Medical Education and Clinical Practice. New Oleans, LA. Nov. 1998
Guest Lecturer, N.Y. Acad. Sciences.,The Lyceum Club. Complementary/Alternative Medicine: An Overview. New York, N.Y. Feb 16, 1999.
Panelist, CSICOP/SRAM Symposium. Science and Alternative Medicine. Philadelphia, PA. February 27-29, 1999.
Guest Lecturer: Los Alamos National Labs, June 6,01. Alternative Medicine: Fact or Fiction.
Guest Lectureer: St. Elizabeths College, New Jersey. June 23,01.

TV Guest Appearances:
CBS-TV News. Frank Field. "Quackery" 9/25/80
NBC-TV News. "Medical Quackery- Lawrence Burton" 10/5/85
Morton Downey Jr. Show. "Alternative Medicine-Revici, 7/19/90
Arthur Miller. Headlines on Trial. PBS-TV"-Atkins/ Donsbach 6/4/89
Geraldo Rivera Show. CBS-TV "Medical Fakes-Revici" 7/19/90
Geraldo Rivera Show. CBS-TV "Diet Doctors- Robert Atkins" 3/10/93
From the Hill, CNBC.-"OAM" Joseph Jacobs, MD, Director , 8/7/93
Crusaders, NBC-TV. " Quacks", Emprise Database, 10/23/93
"Alive and Wellness", CNBC-TV, America is Talking, 7/1/94
"Cured! Secrets of Alternative Med." Homeopathy, NBC-TV, 7/5/94
"48 Hours","Hype or Hope-Chelation Therapy.", CBS TV, 1/12/95
"Eyewitness News", Chelation Therapy" ABC-TV, 5/6/95
"Night Line-". Antineoplastons" Ted Koppel. ABC-TV, 5/19/95
"48 Hours, S.R.Burzynski trial CBS-TV, 3/6/97
"Prime Time Live, Nicholas Gonzalez, MD.! ABC-TV, 10/99

Publications:
1. Gibson RB, Carr TL, Green S. and Fowler WN. Photometric assay of plasma heparin. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 1952;79:577-580

2. Mazur A, Green S, and Shorr E. The oxidation of adrenalin by ferritin iron and hydrogen peroxide. J. Biol. Chem. 1956;220:227-235

3. Green S, Mazur A, and Shorr E. Mechanism of catalytic oxidation ofadrenalin by ferritin. J. Biol. Chem. 1956;220:237-255.

4. Green S, and Mazur A. Uric acid metabolism and the mechanism of ironrelease from hepatic feritin. Science 1956;124:1149-1150

5. Green S and Mazur A. Relation of uric acid metabolism to release ofiron from hepatic ferritin. J. Biol. Chem. 1957;227:653-669

6. Mazur A, Green S, Saha A, Carleton A. Mechanisms of the release offerritin iron in vivo by xanthine oxidase. J. Clin. Invest. 1958;37:1809-1817

7. Mazur A. and Green S. Relation of iron to sulfhydryl groups inferritin. Chapter III in: Sulfur in Proteins. Proceedings of a Symposium.New York, N.Y. Academic Press. 1959, 189-196

8. Mazur A. Green S. Carleton A. Mechanism of plasma iron incorportation into hepatic ferritin. J. Biol. Chem. 1960;235: 595-603

9. Green S. and Bodansky O. Effect of methylbis b-chloroethylamine(nitrogen mustard) on the diphosphopyridine nucleotidase activity ofEhrlich ascites cells and the role of this effect in glycolysis.J.Biol.Chem. 1962;237:1752-1757.

10. Green S. and Bodansky O. Quantitative aspects of the relationshipbetween nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and the enzyme nicotinamideadenine dinucleotide glycohydrolase in Ehrlich ascites cells. J. Biol.Chem. 1963;238:2119-2122

11. Green S. and Bodansky O. Some properties of the enzyme nicotinomideadenine dinucleotide glycohydrolase from mouse Ehrlich ascites cells.J. Biol. Chem. 1964; 239:2613-2617

12. Green S. and Bodansky O. The solubilization, purification andproperties of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide glycolydrolase fromEhrich ascites cells. J. Biol. Chem. 1965;240:2574-2579

13. Green S. The effect of l,3 bis (2-chloroethyl)-l-nitrosourea onnicotinamide adenine dinucleotide glycohydrolase of mouse and rateneoplastic and normal tissues. Cancer Research, 1966;26:2481-2484

14. Green S. and Dobrjansky A. Relationship of the nicotinamide adeninedinucleotide glycohydrolase activity to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide content and rate of proliferation of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. Cancer Research 1967;27:2261-2266

15. Nisselbaum JS and Green S. A simple ultramicro method for thedetermination of pyridine nucleotides in tissues. Analytical Biochem. 1969;27:212-217.

16. Green S. Dobrjansky A and Bodansky O. A role for nicotinamindeadenine dinucleotide glycohydrolase in the control of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity. Cancer Research 1969;29:1568-1573

17. Green S. Dobrjansky A. A relation between pyridine nucleotidedependent dehydrogenase activity and NAD glycohydrolase in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. Cancer Research 1970;30: 346-355.

18. Mamaril FP, Dobrjansky A and Green S. A rapid method for the isolation of nuclei from Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. Cancer Research 1970;30:352-356

19. Green S and Dobrjansky A. pH-dependent inactivation of NADglycohydrolase by its substrate , oxidized NAD. Biochemistry, 1971;10:2496-2500.

20. Mamaril FP and Green S. Isolation and partial characterization ofglyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase-inactivating factor from Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. Cancer Research 1971; 31: 487-490.

21. Green S. and Dobrjansky A. Inactivation of NAD glycohydrolase fromlivers of different mammalian species by NAD. Biochemistry 1971;10:4533-4538.

22. Mamaril FP and Green S. Properties of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphatedehydrogenase from Ehrolich ascites tumor cells. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 1971;147: 583-587

23. Green S. and Dobrjansky A. NAD glycohydrolase from Ehrlich ascitestumor cell nuclei: isolation partial purificaction and properties.Biochemistry 1972;11:4108-4112

24. Green S. Properties of mammalian nuclear and microsomal NADglycohydrolases. Hoppe-Seylers Zeitschrift fur Physiologische Chemie 1972;353:851

25. Green S. and Mamaril FP . NAD related enzymes in tumor cell nuclei.Biochem. Soc. Transactions. 1973;1:636-642

26. Green S. The role of NAD and of NAD glycohydrolases in the regulation of enzymes in the tumor cells. Fogarty International Center Symposium (NIH) 1973

27. Carswell EA, Old LJ, Kassel RL, Green S, Fiore N., Williamson B. Anendotoxin induced serum factor that causes necrosis of tumors. PNAS, USA 1975;72:3566-3568.

28. Green S. Dobrjansky A. Carswell EA, Kassel RL, Old LJ, Fiore N, andSchwartz MK. Partial purification of a serum factor that causes necrosisof tumors. PNAS , USA 1976;73:381-384.

29. Helson L, Green S, Carswell EA and Old LJ. Tumor necrosis factor:Effects in human melanoma cultures. Nature 1975;258:731-732.

30. Hoffman M. Green S. Old LJ. Oettgen HF Serum containing endotoxin-induced tumor necrosis factor substitutes for helper T cells. Nature 1976;263: 416-417.

31. Winawer SJ, Fleisher M. Green S. et al Carcinoembryonic antigen in colonic lavage. Gastroenterology in press 1977

32. Green S. Dobrjansky A, Chiasson MA, Carswell EA , Schwartz MK, andOld LJ . Studies with C parvum in the production of mouse tumor necrosisfactor (TNF). J. Nat. Cancer Inst. 1977;59:1519-1522

33. Shah, RG, Green S. and Moore MAS, Colony stimulating and inhibitingactivities in mouse serum after C. parvum-endotoxin treatment. J. Retic.Soc. 1978;23: 29-41.

34. Green S. and Helson L. Human serum factor inhibits human tumors invitro and in vivo. J. Cell Biol. 1978;79:part 2, 67, #306

35. Helson L. Helson C. and Green S. Effects of murine tumor necrosisfactor on heterotransplanted human tumors. Exptl. Cell Biol. 1979; 47:53-60.

36. Green S. Chiasson MA and Shah RG Evidence for the presence of anantitumor factor in serum of normal animals. Cancer Letters 1979;6:235-240.

37. Green S. and Dobrjansky A . C. parvum: effects on the biochemistryof mouse serum and liver. JNCI 1979;63:497-502

38. Higgins PJ and Green S. Incresed serum levels of tumor associcatedantigen reflect TNF-induced necrosis with Meth A tumors. J.Applied Biochem. 1980;2:66-71.

39. Green S. Kim SH, Hlinka J. Chiasson MA, Dobrjansky A and Ensign N. Aprotein fraction (NHG) from serum of normal humans which is cytotoxic for HELA cells in culture. Cancer Letters, 198l;11:345-350.

40. Green S. Dobrjansky A and Chiasson MA,. Murine TNF: purification and effects on Myelomonocytic leukemia cells. JNCI 1982;68:997-1003

41. Wanebo, HJ , Green S, Marshall D and Pace RC. Antitumor effects of (NHG-l) on human tumor cells in vitro. JNCI 1984:72:545-556.

42. Fugita, H. Teller, MN, Green S. Kreis W. Effects of 5-fluorouraciland 2-metholdihydrotestosterone propionate on the growth of human breastcancer MCF-7 in vitro. Eur. J. Cancer Clin Oncol. 1983;19: 1231-1237.

43. Suyama K. Goldstein J. and Green S. Effects of Murine TNF on Frienderythroleukemia cells. Expl. Cell Biol. 1985:53:85-92.

44. Suyama K. Goldstein J. and Green S. Antitumor activity of NHG: Effects on murine and human erythroleukemia cells. Expt. Cell Biol. 1985:53:93-99.

Alternative Treatment Papers

45. Green, S. Unproven Methods: Cancer and Surveillance by the Immune System in Man. COPE, April/May 1989: 42-44

46. Green, S. A review; The Cancer Industry: Unraveling the Politics by Ralph W. Moss 1989, Paragon House, N.Y. Nutrition Forum:May/June 1991:8:18

47. Green S. Special Communication: Antineoplastons -- An Unproven CancerTherapy. JAMA 1992:267:2924-2928

48. Green S. Special Communication: The Gerson Treatment for Cancer: A rationale for use of coffee enemas and diet. JAMA 1992:268:3224-3227

49. Monaco GP , Green S. Recognizing deception in the promotion of untested and unproven medical treatments. N.Y.State Med J. 1993:93(#2):88-91

50. Green, S. Special Communication: Immunoaugmentative Therapy (IAT); An Unproven Cancer Treatment. JAMA 1993: 270 (#14):1719-1723

51. Green, S. Chelation Therapy: Unproven Claims and Unsound Theories. Nutrition Forum. 1993, (Sept./Oct):10(#5):33-37.

52. Green, S. Oxygenation Therapy: Healing or Hot Air. Part I, Glyoxylide and H2O2. Nutrition Forum. 1996, (March/April); 13:#2:15-19.

53. Green, S. Oxygenation Therapy: Healing or Hot Air. Part I Tales from the "O" Zone. Nutrition Forum. 1996. (May/June)13:#3:25-28.

54. Green, S. Shark Cartilage; Therapy for Cancer. Nutrition Forum. 1997. (January/February 1997) 14:#1:1-5.

55. Green, S. Pseudoscience in Alternative Medicine: Chelation Therapy, Antineoplastons, The Gerson Diet and Coffee Enemas. The Skeptical Inquirer (Sept./Oct. 1997) 21:#5:39-42.

56. Green, S. Hydrazine Sulfate; Is It An Anticancer Agent? The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine. (Fall/Winter 1997); 1:1:19-21.

57. Green, S. Outline of Principles and Criteria for Research and Evaluation of New Medicines. The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine. (Fall/Winter 1997) 1:1:32-35.

58. Green, S. A Guide to Alternative Medicine for the Layman. The Tarant County Physician. (Dallas, Texas) pp 13-15, June 1998

59. Green, S. Oxygenation Therapy: Unproven Treatments for Cancer and Aids. The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine. (Spring/Summer 1998) 2:#1: 6-13.

60. Green, S. Extracts of Glands, Coffee Enemas, Mega-Doses of Vitamins and Diets: A Treatment for Cancer Offered by Nicholas Gonzalez, M.D. The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine. (Fall/Winter, 1998) 2:#2:

61. London, Wm. M. with Green, S. The Penthouse Politics of Cancer: The promotion of hydrazine sulfate and a medical conspiracy theory. Priorities. vol. 10, #4, pps. 7-13, 34, 35. 1998

62. Green, S. What Physicians Should Know About Alternative Medicine: Science, Politics and Alternative Medicine. (In Press, 1999)

63. Green, S. Can alternative treatments induce immune surveillance over cancer in man. Biomedical Research. (Inaugural Issue. Chas. Sturt University. NSW Australia.) vol. 1 #1, September 1999.

64. Green, S. Can alternative treatments induce immune surveillance over cancer in humans? The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine. vol. 4, #1. Spring/Summer, 2000.

65. Green, S. Facts or Fraud: A Look at Alternative Medicine. A speech to the Harvard Alumni Association, May 9, 2000, N.Y., N.Y. (See http://www.drkoop.com/ Perspective.

66. Raso, J. and Green S. ACSH, California Cancer Reform Bill: Bad law, Bad Medicine. June 12, 2000. (See http://www.drkoop.com/)

67. Green, S. Chelation Therapy: An Editorial. Nov. 22, 2000. (See http://www.drkoop.com/)

68. Green, S. You, Your Doctor and Alternative Medicine: An Editorial. Jan. 11, 2001. (See http://www.drkoop.com/ )

69. Green, S. Autogenous Vaccine: A Defense Against the Bacterial Organism that Causes Cancer. The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine . vol. 5.#2. Spring 2001.

70. Green, S. Stated Goals and Grants of the Office of Alternative Medicine/National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine. vol 5, No. 4 (Fall,2001)

71. Green, S. and Sampson, W. EDTA Chelation Therapy for Atherosclerosis and Degenerative Diseases: Implausibility and Paradoxical Oxidant Effects . A Review. The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine. vol 6, No. 1 (Winter, 2002)

72. Green, S. How Did "Complementary Medicine" Enter Our Hospitals? American Council On Science and Health: HEALTH FACTS AND FEARS. http://healthfactsand/fears.com/featured_articles/oct2002/compmed.

Saul Green, Ph.D. - extraordinary man of science

About Dr. Green:

Saul Green, Ph.D., is a highly regarded cancer researcher and a recognized expert in biochemistry, immunology, and nutrition. He is retired from the Sloan Kettering Institute in New York City. Dr. Green is an experienced consultant on the analysis of alternative medical treatments, and has given lectures and made TV appearances on this subject.

Among Dr. Green's noteworthy research accomplishments are the first isolation of Tumor Necrosis Factor from the blood of experimental animals, and the first identification of a similar protein in the serum of normal human blood. He has advised and directed the establishment of cancer research programs, interferon production and purification procedures from human cells, and the isolation and purification of naturally occurring Biological Response Modifiers.

Dr. Green is the author of over 40 technical publications. He is a charter member of the Council for Scientific Medicine, a board member of the National Council Against Health Fraud, an advisor to the American Council on Science and Health, and a member of the Alternative and Complementary Methods Advisory Group of the American Cancer Society.

Dr. Saul Green
President, Zol Consultants, Inc.
340 West 57th St. Suite 89
New York, New York 10019(212) 957-8029


Online Articles by Dr. Saul Green:

Saul Green. Can Alternative Treatments Induce Immune Surveillance Over Cancer in Humans? Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine, Vol 4 No 1, Spring/Summer 2000, Amherst NY, Prometheus Press.

Saul Green, PhD. Facts or Fraud: A Speech to the Harvard Alumni Association, New York City, May 9, 2000, Priorities for Health. Volume 12 Number 2, 2000.

Saul Green. Oxygenation Therapy: Unproven Treatments for Cancer and AIDS Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine, Vol 2 No 3, Spring/Summer 1998, Amherst NY, Prometheus Press.

Saul Green. Nicholas Gonzalez Treatment for Cancer: Gland Extracts, Coffee Enemas, Vitamin Megadoses, and Diets Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine, Vol 2 No 2, Fall/Winter 1998, Amherst NY, Prometheus Press.

Saul Green. The Reality of Alternative Medicine for Serious Illness: A Guide for Laymen, Health Care Reality Check Website, February 1998.

Saul Green. Hydrazine Sulfate: Is it An Anti-Cancer Agent?, Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine, Vol 1 No 1, Fall/Winter 1997, Amherst NY, Prometheus Press.

Saul Green. Stanislaw Burzynski and Antineoplaston Therapy, adapted from "'Alternative' Medicine in the Treatment of Cancer: Hype or Hope", American Association for Clinical Chemistry Symposium, July 1997, Atlanta, GA.

Saul Green. Chelation Therapy: Unproven Claims and Unsound Theories, Nutrition Forum, 1993, Amherst NY, Prometheus Press.


HCRC FAQ Sheets by Dr. Green:

"Strengthening" The Immune System
Immune System Suppression
Ralph Moss -- The Cancer Industry: Unraveling the Politics
Gonzalez Cancer Treatment
Enzyme Supplements
The Greek Cancer Cure
Gerson Cancer Therapy: Diet and Detoxification with Coffee Enemas
Hyperoxygenation Therapy
Shark Cartilage


Letters:

To Good Housekeeping Regarding Stanislaw Burzynski
To Washington Post Regarding Stanislaw Bursynski

Table of Contents

This TOC is in chronological order, from bottom to top.
To get the most benefit, just start at the bottom.


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Newest entries are in the sidebar to the right.


The Realities of Alternative Medicine for Serious Illness: A Guide for Laymen - by Saul Green, Ph.D.

Saul Green letter to The Scientist re: Alternative Medicine

Saul Green Letter to Wash Post re: Burzynski

Dr. Green's Alternative Treatment Papers

Dr. Green's CV

Saul Green, Ph.D. - extraordinary man of science

Table of Contents


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This TOC is in chronological order, from bottom to top.
To get the most benefit, just start at the bottom.