I was diagnosed in 1997 and was through treatment by the end of the same year. At this point I had heard of PC-Spes but could find little solid information - only the miracle stories of how it reduced the PSA and cured prostate cancer. I attended a Prostate Cancer Conference which I think was in early 1998. I remember seeing a booth for information about PC-Spes. I picked up some information and begin to ask questions. I found out at this booth that one does not ask questions of the PC-Spes followers that might show a shadow over its use. It was very evident that they would not answer challenging questions and furthermore really did not even want to speak to you. This is where the gauntlet was laid down in my subsequent investigation of PC-Spes.
Dr. Stephen Strum had started a study of the product and had to stop the study due to the fact that a number of the patients were suffering DVT's (Deep Vein Thrombosis) - a number far greater than the normal population. He gave no explanation as to why this might happen but at that time I thought of DES because DES went out of style as a prostate cancer treatment mainly because of the DVT's in the patients. This was well known and accepted as a dangerous side effect of DES. Dr. Strum continued to support PC-Spes even past the point that lab reports had shown it contained DES - he stayed loyal to the product to the end.
Shortly after this almost every patient taking PC-Spes had their PSA spike upwards. The only way this could happen had to be a change in the ingredients in the drug. I inquired and had an answer, said to be from Sophie Chen, that they had changed the makeup of the drug to see if they could stop the DVT's. Soon. however the PSA's started going down again. At this point I believe that they dropped the dose of DES in the product but when the PSA's went up they knew they had to do something or loose sales. I figured they increased the dose to what it had been and had added something that would decrease the danger of DVT's. That product would most likely be Warfarin.
Not one person that I knew in the PC-Spes movement (including the doctors involved) would agree with me as to what had happened. The fight begins!!! I quickly became the most hated person in the prostate cancer community of those who had formed their own cult of PC-Spes worshipers.
I that point I knew I had a tiger by the tail and that I was hanging on for the ride as I searched for the truth and hoped that the truth would force the scam off the market. It was a long ride but it was finally forced off the market. I am proud of what I accomplished and believe my early voice was the beginning of the end for PC-Spes.
Stay tuned for the my additional experiences along the way.
Showing posts with label The PCSpes story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The PCSpes story. Show all posts
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Friday, August 10, 2007
The PC Spes story - when do we believe? Part I
A sad story!!
Today I should be jumping for joy because of a recent judgment in a supplement case which vindicate almost ten years worth of my writing concerning the lacing of the product. However I cannot be joyful when I am aware of many who thought the supplement was going to be their savior but in reality was their death warrant. Many of the times when they had relied on this supplement and found it to be lacking - they were too late and their disease had advanced beyond the curable period.
The herbal supplement was called PCSpes and was laced by the addition of DES, Warfarin, Indomethacin, and Estradiol (all prescription drugs). As the court found " The Laboratory testing of PC-SPES performed in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, without exception showed that every batch of PC SPES unlawfully contained dosage levels of the synthetic chemicals DES and Warfarin, as well as Indomethacin and Ethinyl Estradiol." This was known, or should have been known, by doctors who were pushing the product and by others (including LEF) who were selling the product.
The judgment for the class action was for 24 million dollars - the defendants or their attorneys did not even appear at the trial. The company IMR is bankrupt and Sophie Chen, the brains behind the fraud, has fled to England and has probably hidden the millions she received from the sale of the product in China, her native country, and elsewhere. I am afraid the class of plaintiffs may get little to nothing after the attorneys get theirs.
Why am I telling you this. It is a long story - let me start from the beginning. But before I start let me point you to the actual court "Statement of Decision with Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law". Click on PCSpes Decision and read the document.
Now let me break the story down in several installments, each posted as I complete them. It is a long story and interesting story about the common supplementation of herbal products with other prescription drugs almost always in China and almost every imported supplement. Even when the drugs may come into the country pure - the Chinese behind the supplements in this country add the laced drugs.
This is just one of many but one which has gone to court and a court has issued an order. Unfortunately this is a story that has been repeated over and over in our history and is being repeated yet today. It seems that we have propensity to never learn from past experiences.
Today I should be jumping for joy because of a recent judgment in a supplement case which vindicate almost ten years worth of my writing concerning the lacing of the product. However I cannot be joyful when I am aware of many who thought the supplement was going to be their savior but in reality was their death warrant. Many of the times when they had relied on this supplement and found it to be lacking - they were too late and their disease had advanced beyond the curable period.
The herbal supplement was called PCSpes and was laced by the addition of DES, Warfarin, Indomethacin, and Estradiol (all prescription drugs). As the court found " The Laboratory testing of PC-SPES performed in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, without exception showed that every batch of PC SPES unlawfully contained dosage levels of the synthetic chemicals DES and Warfarin, as well as Indomethacin and Ethinyl Estradiol." This was known, or should have been known, by doctors who were pushing the product and by others (including LEF) who were selling the product.
The judgment for the class action was for 24 million dollars - the defendants or their attorneys did not even appear at the trial. The company IMR is bankrupt and Sophie Chen, the brains behind the fraud, has fled to England and has probably hidden the millions she received from the sale of the product in China, her native country, and elsewhere. I am afraid the class of plaintiffs may get little to nothing after the attorneys get theirs.
Why am I telling you this. It is a long story - let me start from the beginning. But before I start let me point you to the actual court "Statement of Decision with Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law". Click on PCSpes Decision and read the document.
Now let me break the story down in several installments, each posted as I complete them. It is a long story and interesting story about the common supplementation of herbal products with other prescription drugs almost always in China and almost every imported supplement. Even when the drugs may come into the country pure - the Chinese behind the supplements in this country add the laced drugs.
This is just one of many but one which has gone to court and a court has issued an order. Unfortunately this is a story that has been repeated over and over in our history and is being repeated yet today. It seems that we have propensity to never learn from past experiences.
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