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Show "The American Cancer Society feels Laetrile is a completely ineffective and unsafe cancer therapy," reported Harmon J. Eyre, M.D., member of the American Cancer Society National Na-tional Board. AN ASSOCIATE Professor of Hematology at the University Univer-sity of Utah Medical Center, Dr. Eyre said the Cancer Society agrees with the Federal Drug Administration. Administra-tion. The F.D.A. prohibits the shipmanj of Laetrile for interstate in-terstate commerce because the drug has repeatedly failed scientific tests for effectiveness effec-tiveness in curing human cancer. LAETRILE, promoted as a cancer remedy, is a substance extracted from apricot pits. Ernest T. Krebs, Sr., who first promoted Laetrile almost al-most 50 years ago, felt that cancer was a single disease that could be wiped out by a single agent. Actually cancer is a group of over 100 different diseases. Of 50 proven anti-cancer drugs, no one drug is effective against more than a few forms of the disease. IN 1978 THE National Cancer Institute (NCI) contacted con-tacted 385,000 physicians, 70,000 other health professionals, profes-sionals, and pro-Laetrile groups and ask them to submit sub-mit medical cases that showed Laetrile's effectiveness effec-tiveness against cancer. "The New England Journal of Medicine," Sept. 7, 1978, reported the NCI findings. Although it is estimated that 70,000 Americans have used Laetrile, only 93 cases were submitted for evaluation. Of these 93, only six patients who had received Laetrile as their primary treatment were judged to have had a response. re-sponse. "TIME IS OF essence in cancer treatment," continued Dr. Eyre. "Use of Laetrile means delaying or discontinuing discon-tinuing proven treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. If Laetrile use becomes widespread, cancer could possibly kill many people who might have lived." Dr. Henry Plenk, LDS Hospital Hos-pital Radiation Center Director, Direc-tor, said, "I have never seen a patient who has had a proven cancer, or who has not had radiation therapy, surgery, or any other legitimate form of therapy take Laetrile and have any response whatsoever. what-soever. I have seen, unfortunately, unfor-tunately, too many patients who nave not had a prescribed form of treatment but who have had definite and sometimes very rapid growth of cancer while on Laetrile." FOURTEEN STATES voted against legalizing Laetrile during 1978. Seventeen other states, including Idaho and Nevada, have legalized the drug. In several of these states, the laws went into effect ef-fect over the governor's veto or without his signature. "We know that some people feel that their freedom is restricted re-stricted when they cannot take Laetrile, explained cancer specialist, Leland R. Cowan,: M.D. But we feel restricting; this freedom is similar to limiting speed on highways. Both save lives. It is our4 position that the public has a right to protection in an area medical treatment, where they cannot have sufficient suf-ficient knowledge to protect themselves against quackery." A FREE pamphlet entitled "Laetrile-Cancer Quackery' is available from the Utah Division of the American Cancer Society, 610 East South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84102. |