OP/ED: Medical Controversy - Report Into Radio Wave Treatment For Cancer

A medical controversy is unfolding in Australia with a release of a report into the treatments used to cure cancer by Australian Perth doctor Dr John Holt. The doctor uses radio waves to attack the cancers claiming success at shrinking and in same cases making the tumours disappear from patients undergoing treatment.


The treatment works by injecting a glucose blocking agent intravenously. Radio waves of a specific frequency are then directed at the patient.

Hundreds of previous patients of the doctor have signed statements in regard to their cure but the medical profession remains unconvinced. A report released today by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council states that Dr Holts treatment is inferior to conventional treatments for cancer.

The media has picked this up to mean that his treatments do not work and the report insinuates a placebo effect to patients of the treatment. The Australian government is going out of its way and being very evasive in attacking the doctor and his claims. Once again it seems that because this is an alternative treatment and not controlled by mainstream medicine, the profession refuse to look at the treatment properly or take onboard aspects of the treatment to refine and experiment with.

The question is often asked of this treatment "Is this the cure for cancer"?
"Has the cure been here for 30 years already but we are not utilizing it"?
Is this a huge cover-up or is there no basis in fact to this doctors claims of curing some cancers?
Is it really a placebo effect? Does it really work?
Can it be adapted to cure all cancer?

The bothersome thing in this whole issue is the fact that microwave treatments and radio wave treatments are currently being hailed as the treatment and cure of cervical cancers.

www.nhmrc.gov.au...
The final report on the therapeutic effectiveness and safety of microwave cancer therapy concluded that:

* There is no high-quality published scientific evidence which shows superior benefit in terms of therapeutic effectiveness for the treatment of cancer with:
o microwave (or UHF) cancer therapy when combined with radiotherapy (used by Dr Holt before 1991); or
o microwave cancer therapy when used in combination with glucose blocking agents (used by Dr Holt since 1991)
* Microwave cancer therapy in combination with radiotherapy was inferior compared to standard conventional radiotherapy with respect to disease control and survival for patients with breast cancer, lung cancer, lymphoma or prostate cancer.
* There was no significant difference in survival between conventional radiotherapy and microwave therapy used in combination with radiotherapy for patients with head and neck, colorectal or bladder cancer.
* Microwave therapy in combination with glucose blocking agents was inferior to radiotherapy in terms of symptom control and disease control in patients with bladder or any invasive cancer.
* There is insufficient information to make a reliable assessment of the safety of UHF in combination with radiotherapy, or in combination with glucose blocking agents for the treatment of patients with cancer.
* Conventional radiotherapy had better symptom control rates in bladder cancer patients, than UHF in combination with radiotherapy or in combination with glucose blocking agents.
* UHF in combination with glucose blocking agents appeared to have a lower rate of toxicity than UHF in combination with radiotherapy, or conventional radiotherapy.

ABC News - Microwave Treatment Report Link
A report has found no proof that an alternative cancer treatment offered in Western Australia using microwave therapy works.

A special committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council has reviewed the treatment championed by Perth doctor John Holt.

The committee's report says there is no scientific evidence to support the use of microwaves in fighting cancer, either alone or together with other treatments.

Health Minister Tony Abbott says the review shows the microwave treatment is not a miracle cure.

"The conclusions of the study were that there is no evidence that Dr Holt's treatment is superior to conventional orthodox cancer treatments and there is considerable evidence that at least in some areas Dr Holt's treatment is inferior," he said.

It is interesting that what the ABC news link says about the report and what was said by Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott on the matter tonight on Australia's A Current Affair with Ray Martin, is two different things.

Mr Abbott was uneasy and uncomfortable with his eyes darting around and I think if he could have been in any other place than that chair he would have. Ray Martin asked him why none of the hundreds of patients (cured) that swore by Dr Holt's treatment were interviewed or questioned when compiling the report. The answer was that Dr Holts clinical notes were taken into consideration and that his notes were compared to data from perth rdiology unit and the conclusions were that Dr Holts treatment was not superior to standard treatments currently used main stream.

Not once did Mr Abbot state that Dr Holt's treatment doesn't work and when asked directly if the report was stating that it didn't work, the answer was evaded and Mr Abbott would not say that this treatment does not work.

As far i am am concerned we have hundreds of patients swearing by this treatment including a brain surgeon and yet the government is going to great pains to release a report on this doctors treatments. Yet the compilers of the report have not actually trialed the treatment under control situations with Dr Holt. They have not interviewed previous patients or tested and examined the patients themselves.

What is also unusual is that Ray Martin's "A Current Affair" is a network show that is known for it's anti alternative treatment stance. It is a current affair program that has exposed many a charlatan and also frauds pertaining to have the cure for various ills.

For Ray Martin to take such a personal backing of this doctors claims is extraordinary and for him to go against the government line on this issue is also strange. It would lead one to believe that maybe there is something more to this doctors treatments that need to be investigated. If helped by the mainstream medical profession, this doctor may be able to improve and refine his methods and treatments to become something extremely important in the search for the cause and cure of cancers.

This man has patients by the bucketload prepared to sign affadavits and stand up and naming themselves in public, swearing by and defending this doctors methods and treatments of their cancers.

Alternative Health.com.au Link
To be perfectly honest, we have never been great supporters of ACA (A Current Affair, Ch 9) as they have generally portrayed alternative medicine in a negative light. Not that one could call Dr John Holt "alternative"! But congratulations must go to Ray Martin and the ACA team for their tenacity in covering Dr Holt's story, which they have been doing for nearly a year now.

Here is a wonderful doctor, highly qualified in many areas, including Radiology and Gynaecology, yet despite the hundreds and hundreds of successful cases where cancer patients - many in very advanced stages of the disease - have been given the all clear, mainstream medicine continues to turn its back on him. But what better proof is there than patients alive and well, all with documented evidence before and after treatment? And people wonder why we have never had a kind word to say about the various cancer councils and similar groups all pushing their own agendas.

Healing - Holt Cancer Treatment Link
The doctor many believe can cure cancer
9 August 2004 Reporter: Ray Martin
Over a period of 30 years, highly qualified Perth-based surgeon Dr John Holt has had some startling successes with a radio-wave therapy treatment for cancer patients.
However, this radical treatment has polarised the medical community in Australia. His supporters say he's been vilified, while his detractors point out there is no scientific basis for his claims. Elvina Johnson had a lot of living to do when she was told she had an aggressive form of bone cancer. At 18, doctors discovered she had a "galaxy of tumours". She lost her leg and underwent intensive chemo treatment to try and stop it spreading. Her cancer was so severe that she relapsed soon after.

"It was through both of my lungs and by that stage it was pretty terminal," she told Ray Martin.
Elvina was desperate. Quite by chance she heard about a cancer specialist with a highly controversial procedure. "By taking the chance and finding this man, I am here six years later and probably feeling better than ever, so I have had a rebirth," she said.

Cancer Cure Link
"Over a period of 30 years, highly qualified Perth-based surgeon Dr John Holt has had some startling successes with a radio-wave therapy treatment for cancer patients. Dr Holt has 26 medical letters after his name. For more than a decade he was in charge of Western Australia's main cancer institute, until the late '70s, when he was blacklisted by his medical colleagues and politicians. While the medical community continues to argue the merits of Dr Holt's unorthodox measures, the families of his successes feel they owe everything to this gentle man."

Medical Net News Link
Dr Holt's treatment works by giving the patient an injection of a glucose-blocking agent. He then bombards the body with "radio waves" at a specific frequency. Dr Holt doesn't offer any guarantees for curing cancer but many patients in the interview cited 'the last resort' scenario and a relatively cheap treatment cost (around U.S. $700 for a 3 week course) as reasons for initially going to the doctor.

Born in Bristol, England 80 years ago and a member of the Royal Colleges, Dr Holt has 26 medical letters after his name. He was also in charge of Western Australia's main cancer institute, until the late '70's, when he was blacklisted by his medical colleagues and politicians.

www.news-medical.net...
2004 concerns over media and this treatment

"Regretfully there is no published evidence that the treatment works."
"However, we strongly support the open-minded offer of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists to conduct an independent audit so that we can be better informed as to the efficacy of the Tronado treatment."
"It should be noted that there will always be a number of patients who will recover from illness without explanation and we believe it is irresponsible to present any treatment as a cure."
"It is the doctors and patients of Perth who will have to deal with unrealistic expectations that have been created long after the publicity has gone and the media has moved on to another miracle cure," Dr Skerritt said.
An email survey of Perth doctors by the AMA (WA) failed to produce any evidence the treatment works.
One Doctor responding to the survey said: "I am fully aware of the unrealistic expectations of patients re the Tronado Microwave Cancer Treatment. As a Radiation Oncologist working in Perth I am faced with these patients virtually every day, as are my colleagues.
"My major concern is that as an oncologist, we are striving to practice evidence-based medicine and that sensationalising treatments such as the tronado is counter to all of our efforts. "It is difficult for patients to understand the complexity of medical evidence and research which ultimately guide us in patient treatment and decision-making."

my.webmd.com...
Microwaves and cervical Cancer
Sept. 7, 2005 - Microwave heat -- delivered by a futuristic machine -- may one day become part of the standard treatment for advanced cervical cancer.
The finding comes from 68 cervical cancer patients treated in the U.S., the Netherlands, and Norway. All patients were treated with state-of-the-art chemotherapy and radiation treatment. They were also treated with a special microwave that heated their pelvic regions to about 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Dr John Holt Google Search results
Dr John Holt
Dr John Holt - Cancer Treatment
Goo gle

Related News Links:
www.nhmrc.gov.au
www7.health.gov.au
www.nhmrc.gov.au


[edit on 29-9-2005 by Mayet]

Suprise, suprise. [/sarcasm]

I remember starting a thread when I was still fresh on ATS but it ended up being quite the heated thread and I do remember coming across quite ignorant and stupid and I apologize to anyone who I insulted in that thread but anyways that thread was about Dr Royal Raymond Rife.

The inventor of a machine that resonated specific frequencies which when in certain proximity killed cancer cells among many other pathogens and viruses. It was also claimed that he created a microscope that could see live pathogens and viruses. I still do not know if what he claimed was true but this is the next big step towards radio frequency healing which in my mind is very real and very possible though the medical industry in general would not like this to be true for one simple reason.

Money......money.....money

It all comes down to money. Literally Billions if not.........trillions.

If the people who were using these alternative methods are actually saying they were cured even with terminal illness then isn't it even worth doing ACTUAL double placebo tests?

As you say Mayet not once was radiowave therapy EVER said to work right or wrong. They really wanted to avoid answering that question......Geee I wonder why?????

A nice find though nonetheless. Keep up the good work.

~Peace~

[edit on 29/9/05 by Hunting Veritas]

[edit on 29/9/05 by Hunting Veritas]

[edit on 29/9/05 by Hunting Veritas]

I am not sure why anyone is surprised that this works. But if it is doing what I assume it is doing, it certainly is not a "cure", except in the sense that traditional surgery is a "cure".

Radio waves at certain frequencies can kill cells. If you don't believe me, put your cat in the microwave and set it on "10" for a few minutes. (No, please, do NOT put your cat in the microwave! I'm just making a sarcastic analogy, to help people understand the obvious...)

Funny thing is, I thought I'd already read of microwaves being used for surgery. The way it is done (don't know if this is what this doctor is doing) is to direct multiple waves at the tissue they want to destroy, such that the dosage is lethal only where the multiple waves intersect. Similar to the way some radiation therapies are done.

Personally, I think this guy is a quack. But don't dismiss the use of radio waves because of one quack.

It appears after reading the articles (yes, I commented before reading them...) that this is what I thought it is.

The detractors are NOT saying that it doesn't work - just that it is no better or inferior than alternatives.

IMO, this is NOT a "cure". It is just another way to destroying cancer cells. It may have a place as a treatment option and should be pursued. Unfortunately, this doctor is touting it as a cure, and charging forward in an uncontrolled fashion. Treatments should be proven in controlled experiments, not based on patient testimonials. When someone uses the latter exclusively to promote a cure, that is a huge red flag.

I have a build in sceptism over any of these "Miracle" cures. Despite teh well meanings of his patients, untill a major study is undertken an a ajor medical research hospital with a huge sample, This whole premise right next to the snake oil products untill proven otherwise.

I seem to recall a doonesbury from the seventies where zonker microwaves his brain by listening to his stereo though headphones for too long. I wonder if its anything like that.

I seem to remember something I saw on the BBC a few weeks ago, where scientists inserted carbon nanotubes into cancer cells (using some other nano tech that was readily absorbed by cancer...can't remeber exactly) and then they would shot the area with infrared radiation. The carbon nanotubes would heat up and litteraly cook the cancer, but not the outlying tisue.

Another nano-cure in the works is using little nano capsules, which again are more readily abosirbed into cancers than healthy cells. They would then break down in the cell's and release normal chemo drugs, but in a much more targetted fashion, vastly reducing the side effects of chemo and improving the effiency at the same time....

The cure isnt far away people....10-15 years at best and most cancers will be readily treatable with very high survival rates.

All praise Nano-tech!!

Originally posted by stumason
Another nano-cure in the works is using little nano capsules, which again are more readily abosirbed into cancers than healthy cells. They would then break down in the cell's and release normal chemo drugs, but in a much more targetted fashion, vastly reducing the side effects of chemo and improving the effiency at the same time....

They're called nanoshells, they're made of gold. They inject them and wait a few hours for the shells to congregate in the tumor, then apply the infrared. Infrared doesn't go through bone however, so unless they were able to somehow endoscopically apply the light, it only works in soft tissue cancers not on the other side of bone. Hopefully they can figure out a way to apply the light through bone, so they can cure brain cancers, lung cancers, etc. Anyone interested just google "nanoshell". They are set to begin human trials soon, but it worked on mice. But they say if humans were like mice, they would've cured cancer long ago.

Great Read!

Great OP/ED!

Great Piece of Research!

You have voted Mayet for the Way Above Top Secret award. You have used all of your votes for this month.

But they say if humans were like mice, they would've cured cancer long ago.

maybe.....Instead of creating drugs to cure our diseases, they should use retrovirals to alter our DNA into mice-men.........

Also known as the Rife/Bare machine:
www.rifetechnologies.com...
www.home.earthlink.net...

is this a cure for tumors.l truely believe if it is there will be alot of drug companies losing money.radiowave technology is very useful and we do use it alot in many things.just read about telsa and all that can be gained by the use of this stuff.it is a untapped application and will be a future one as well.mircowaves radiowaves and so on........

It looks like the cancers it treats with similiar success to conventional therapys, are the "less terminal" forms...

I suprising fact I discovered when dealing with a loved ones cancer, is that we all (yep, everyone) have "cancer" in our lifetimes, and many of us, more than once...
mostly these are skin cancers, cancers of the lining of organs, and other fairly treatable forms...
we usually dont ever know we have anything wrong with us... our bodies own systems are already on the case, and wipe it out, before we even notice...

so success of any treatment needs to be related to survivability in relation to previous treatments...
it doesn't increase survivability in the aggressive forms (small cell lung cancer for one) so I feel that this is not going to be "the cure"

that doesn't mean they shouldn't continue to do research to see if it helps in a combination therapy situation.

My hopes go out to the universe to manifest a true cancer cure... it is out there, and we will find it, but we need to continue to look for better treatments until then... and use anything that gives people a chance...

as far as the contention that drug companies would lose money if a cure were found, I truly think and hope that wouldn't be an effector..
I counter that contention with a statment that the insurance companies pray for a cure to cancer, it would save them billions a year...

Originally posted by LazarusTheLong
as far as the contention that drug companies would lose money if a cure were found, I truly think and hope that wouldn't be an effector..
I counter that contention with a statment that the insurance companies pray for a cure to cancer, it would save them billions a year...

I don't believe the drug companies would lose money if cancer were cured, but rather make more money. Drug companies make the big money on maintainance medications, which there are not any for cancer. And since many patients with aggressive forms of cancer don't live long enough to take medications for other ailments, they lose money. If they could cure cancer, there would be alot more older folks on Viagra, Lipitor, etc.

I think there will be a major breakthrough soon, on top of the many that already exist. At MD Anderson in TX they are in the trial phaase of a adenovirus that they program to attack only cancer cells called Delta-24-RGD, also nanoshells are set to begin human trials soon. There is also work on geneticaly altering T cells to recognize cancer as a threat and destroy it.

Last July I went to my doctor because of a persistant earache I had for a couple months, I figured it was a stubborn ear infection, but with no fever. The doc said it was clear and ordered an MRI to be safe. The next day he called me and said I had a brain mass. That was a call I'll never forget. I'm only 28 years old, I never figured I would hear something like that until I was much older. My doc had no idea what kind of tumor it was, so I was in the dark until I got the MRI report. Much to my relief it was a schwannoma, a benign (non-cancerous), extremely slow growing tumor, that wasn't actually on my brain, but at the base of my skull on the lower cranial nerves. They can still be dangerous if they continue to grow, and press the brainstem, but sometimes they stop growing on their own. Being young I had to get it treated and thought I was going to have to have brain surgery, which would've sucked. Thankfully, there was another option, called radiosurgery. It's not actually surgery, but radiation is focused in pencil thin beams, the tumor is targeted, but all surrounding healthy tissue is spared, unlike traditional radiation therapy for cancer. It's been around since the 60's and was called the gamma knife. The bad thing was you had to have a frame screwed to your skull. But a new machine was developed called the CyberKnife, instead of a head frame, it uses x-rays to target the tumor based on bone landmarks in the skull, it's a giant robot that moves around your head zapping the tumor, while tracking your movement. It's the same tech as used for cruise missiles. It's done over a period of three days on an outpatient basis. I had mine at the end of August, and the earaches are gone. The tumor's DNA has been scrambled andthe cells can no longer reproduce, the tumor should shrink and turn to scar tissue. No brain surgery for me, thanks to amazing technology. I think it will only get better.

[edit on 30-9-2005 by 27jd]