KoSong: DR MUHAMMAD AZRIF: Cancer patients deserve better

How should we judge a government?

In Malaysia, if you don't watch television or read newspapers, you are uninformed; but if you do, you are misinformed!

"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." - Malcolm X

Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience - Mark Twain

Why we should be against censorship in a court of law: Publicity is the very soul of justice … it keeps the judge himself, while trying, under trial. - Jeremy Bentham

"Our government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no

responsibility at the other. " - Ronald Reagan

Sunday, March 19, 2017

DR MUHAMMAD AZRIF: Cancer patients deserve better

Excerpt:

"WE would like to thank Gan Tee Jin for the letter “Keeping an open mind on unproven treatments” (The Star, March 10). We appreciate the effort to describe his family’s experience with HITV (Hasumi Immuno-Therapeutic Vaccine) and are glad that his mother has had a successful outcome after her treatment.

His mother is a living testimony that cancer is not always a death sentence, which sadly is an all too common perception among Malaysians.

We welcome feedback to our previous letter, “Clarifying immunotherapy” (The Star, March 3), and are keen to explain our position regarding oncology and evidence-based medicine.

The Malaysian Oncological Society (MOS) regards educating the public on cancer as one of our primary objectives and we strongly believe that the practice of oncology should be based on the best scientific evidence.

Gan’s letter raises several interesting points that continue to be debated in medicine, and science in general. Firstly, what kind of evidence is required to “prove” that something works? Is one successful case sufficient proof? Can we rely on our own, often flawed, observations to form judgements?"