Last updated 17/07/14
Here is a summary of information on #Burzynski – which will hopefully be of use to those daunted by the sheer quantity of links on my Stanislaw, Streisand and Spartacus post.
UPDATE 30/04/13 Many of the links are to the 21st Floor, which is now offline. Most of these can also also be found here, by searching for “Burzynski”.
Recent news
Latest Texas Medical Board complaint:
- First Amended Complaint (Stanislaw Burzynski, MD, before the Texas Medical Board) Texas State Office of Adminstrative Hearings, SOAH Docket No. 503-12-1342, 10/07/14
- Texas Medical Board files detailed complaint against Burzynski Sharon Hill, Doubtful News, 13/07/14
- The Texas Medical Board vs. Stanislaw Burzynski, 2014 edition David Gorski, Science Based Medicine, 14/07/14
- The Texas Medical Board vs. Stanislaw Burzynski, Round Infinity Orac, Respectful Insolence, 14/07/14
- TMB files 200+ pages of charges against Burzynski The Houston Cancer Quack, 17/07/14
The FDA have lifted restrictions on Burzynski’s clinical trials:
FDA gives controversial doc green light to restart work Liz Szabo, USA Today, 25/06/14
In a complaint filed on 11th December 2013, the Texas Medical Board said Stanislaw Burzynski marketed his experimental cancer therapies online and in news releases in a way that is “false, misleading and violated federal law.”
On 3rd December, the FDA issued two more warning letters to the Burzynski Research Institute and Stanislaw Burzynski. These appeared online on 11th and were subsequently reported in USA Today.
- Stanislaw R Burzynski, MD 12/3/13 WARNING LETTER Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations, US Food and Drug Administration, 3/12/13
- Burzynski Research Institute 12/3/13 WARNING LETTER Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations, US Food and Drug Administration, 3/12/13
- FDA issues warning to controversial Houston cancer doctorLiz Szabo, USA Today, 11/12/13
- The drip, drip, drip, drip of FDA findings against Stanislaw Burzynski continues Orac, Respectful Insolence, 12/12/13
- Burzynski gets FDA smackdown letters Sharon Hill, Doubtful News, 12/12/13
- Texas charges controversial doctor with false ads Liz Szabo, USA Today, 08/01/14
- Texas Medical Board Accuses Stanislaw “I Cured Cancer, Bitch!” Burzysnki of Deceptive Advertising Craig Malisow, HoustonPress Blogs, 16/01/14
Detailed coverage on Burzynski was published in USA Today on 15th November 2013. This included shocking details of the 2013 FDA investigation as well as interviews with Burzynski and with former patients.
- Experts dismiss doctor’s cancer claims Liz Szabo, USA Today, 15/11/13
- Doctor accused of selling false hope to families Liz Szabo, USA Today, 15/11/13
- Families run out of hope, money after cancer treatments Liz Szabo, USA Today, 15/11/13
- Burzynski exposed in USA Today Sharon Hill, Doubtful News, 15/11/13
- Stanislaw Burzynski in USA Today: Abuse of clinical trials and patients versus the ineffectiveness of the FDA and Texas Medical Board Orac, Respectful Insolence, 15/11/13
- USA Today versus Stanislaw Burzynski David Gorski, Science Based Medicine, 15/11/13
- Cancer Doctor Under Fire for Unproven Treatment Benjamin Radford, Discovery News, 15/11/13
- The Burzynski Empire strikes back David Gorski, Science Based Medicine, 18/11/13
- Eric Merola and Stanislaw Burzynski respond to the FDA findings and the USA TODAY story. Hilarity ensues. Orac, Respectful Insolence, 18/11/13
- Time is running out for Dr Stanislaw Burzynski Josephine Jones, 18/11/13
- Lobbying Congress for Action The Houston Cancer Quack, 22/11/13
- The Skeptics for the Protection of Cancer Patients need your help David Gorski, Science Based Medicine, 04/12/13
- Folk Heroism: Lessons from USA Today’s cancer doctor investigation William Heisel, Reporting on Health, 06/12/13
- Even after the USA TODAY report, Stanislaw Burzynski manages to enlist cancer patients to his cause Orac, Respectful Insolence, 10/12/13
- Q&A with Liz Szabo: Braving legal threats to investigate a medical folk hero William Heisel, Reporting on Health, 13/01/14
- Q&A with Liz Szabo Part 2: Seeing the humanity in the harshest of critics William Heisel, Reporting on Health, 17/01/14
Damning FDA Findings
In 2013, FDA put a partial clinical hold on Burzynski’s clinical trials, meaning antineoplastons were no longer available to new patients.
Details of the FDA’s shocking findings during their inspection in early 2013 were released in November.
Restrictions were lifted in June 2014.
- Breaking: Burzynski inspection reports What “What Doctors Don’t Tell You” Don’t Tell You, 08/11/13
- Damning FDA findings about Stanislaw Burzynski’s trials Robert Blaskiewicz, JREF, 08/11/13
- FDA Releases Burzynski Clinic Inspection Notes The OTHER Burzynski Patient Group, 08/11/13
- Stanislaw Burzynski and the Burzynski Clinic “Fail to protect the rights, safety and welfare of subjects”, says FDA David James, SKEPT!CAL blog, East England Skeptical Society, 09/11/13
- Burzynski: Tijuana beckons Guy Chapman, Guy Chapman’s Blahg, 10/11/13
- Not-so-startling but nonetheless shocking revelations about the Burzynski Clinic Orac, Respectful Insolence, 11/11/13
- Revealed by the FDA: The results of the most recent inspection of the Burzynski Clinic David Gorski, Science Based Medicine, 11/11/13
- FDA Documents Paint Disturbing Picture Of Burzynski Cancer Clinic Peter Lipson, Forbes, 11/11/13
- FDA gives controversial doc green light to restart work Liz Szabo, USA Today, 25/06/14
Some of the details of the inspections had already been released and were discussed here:
- Cleaning up odds and ends about the Burzynski Clinic Orac, Respectful Insolence, 05/06/13
- I want my ANP! Orac, Respectful Insolence, 07/06/13
(Earlier posts relating to the recent FDA inspection are listed below, in an update to the Legal and Ethical Concerns section.)
Following the FDA action and recent bad press, it appears the Burzynski Clinic have adopted a new approach to search engine optimisation. Some rather odd news articles namechecking the clinic have appeared recently. One such article, on aspirin and colorectal cancer, was apparently written by a man whose face is a composite of every actor to have played Batman.
- Stanislaw Burzynski comments on new cancer science, hilarity ensues Orac, Respectful Insolence, 09/09/13
- The Burzynski Clinic continues to issue press releases. Still more hilarity ensues. Orac, Respectful Insolence, 04/10/13
On 15th November (the same day the USA Today report was published), the Burzynski Clinic issued a press release entitled Burzynski Clinic Presents Over Five Years Survival Data From Phase II Trials of ANP for Inoperable Brain Tumors at the Congress. On 22nd November, the Clinic presented two posters at the Society of Neuro-Oncology meeting in San Francisco.
- Is anyone attending the 4th Quadrennial Meeting of the Society of Neuro-Oncology in San Francisco right now? Orac, Respectful Insolence, 22/11/13
A new book by Dr Paul Offit, Do You Believe in Magic?: The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine (or Killing Us Softly: The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine), contains a chapter on Burzynski.
- Book raises alarms about alternative medicine Liz Szabo, USA TODAY, 18/06/13
As part of The Amazing Meeting in July 2013, David Gorski and Bob Blaskiewicz both gave talks on Burzynski, which may be viewed here:
- Medical cranks: Why we fight David Gorski, Science Based Medicine, 10/11/13
Overview
- Trials of a Cancer Doc. Experimental drugs and a 20-year fight with the FDA Shannon Brownlee and Gary Cohen, US News and World Report, 27/09/98
- Stanislaw Burzynski and “Antineoplastons Saul Green PhD, 21/11/06
- Cancer Doctor Stanislaw Burzynski Sees Himself as a Crusading Researcher, Not a Quack Craig Malisow, Houston Press, 31/12/08
- Controversy surrounding Burzynski’s ‘pioneering’ cancer therapy should be reported in newspapers Josephine Jones, 23/11/11
- Hope or false hope? Kat Arney, Cancer Research UK, 25/11/11
- Stanislaw Burzynski: Bad medicine, a bad movie, and bad P.R. David Gorski, Science Based Medicine, 28/11/11
- Burzynski Fanatic Threatens Bloggers ‘Round the World Craig Malisow, Hairballs, Houston Press Blogs, 29/11/11
- Episode Ninety-One – On Stanislaw Burszynski, Streisand Effects And Standing Up For Skeptical Bloggers – Andy Lewis of Quackometer Token Skeptic podcast, 01/12/11
- Burzynski: A perfect storm? Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 05/12/11
- Burzynski – Conscience and Complicity Unity, Ministry of Truth, 15/12/11
- Dr. Burzynski and the cult of personality of the “brave maverick cancer doctor” Orac, Respectful Insolence, 15/12/11
- The Burzynski Clinic, The Burzynski Research Institute and the Southern Family Pharmacy Investigative Report Sara Elizabeth Siegler and Adam Capps, 13/02/12
- The Burzynski Millions Andy Lewis, The Quackometer, 19/03/12
- Documentary: The Cancer Man Cian Mac Mahon and Ciaran O’Connor, DCUfm, 18/04/12
- Stanislaw Burzynski and the Antineoplaston Scam Bob Blaskiewicz, disinformation, 10/11/12
- On Stanislaw Burzynski, “antineoplastons,” and cancer cure scams Xeni Jardin, boingboing, 11/11/12
- Burzynski: sorting the sheep from the goats Guy Chapman, Guy Chapman’s Blahg, 17/02/13
- Burzynski Q&A Adam Jacobs, Dianthus Medical, 13/03/13
- Burzynski: the false promise of antineoplastons Josephine Jones, 13/05/13
- Talking Burzynski – David Gorski and Bob Blaskiewicz David James and Paul Hopwood, Skeptic Canary Show, 29/05/13
- Stanislaw Burzynski: Four Decades of an Unproven Cancer Cure David Gorski, Skeptical Inquirer, Vol 38.2, March/April 2014
- Skeptic Activists Fighting for Burzynski’s Cancer Patients Bob Blaskiewicz, Skeptical Inquirer, Vol 38.2, March/April 2014
The Burzynski Clinic and the British media
BBC Panorama
BBC Panorama’s documentary on Burzynski, Cancer: Hope for Sale aired on 3rd June. If you are in the UK, it may be viewed on BBC iPlayer, here. It may also be viewed here.
Johnsons Solicitors complained to Ofcom on behalf of the Burzynski Clinic. They complained that the clinic was “treated unjustly or unfairly in the programme as broadcast because a negative impression was given of the clinic which was designed to be detrimental to its reputation”. Ofcom did not uphold the complaint.
They considered that “the broadcaster had taken reasonable care to satisfy itself that the material facts were not presented, omitted or disregarded in a way that portrayed the costs involved in obtaining treatment from the Burzynski Clinic in a way that resulted in unfairness to the clinic.” Having assessed each of the heads of complaint separately, Ofcom also considered the programme as a whole. Having done so, they concluded that the programme as a whole avoided unfair or unjust treatment of the Burzynski
Clinic.
- Panorama and Burzynski Rhys Morgan, Rhys’s blog, 24/05/13
- BBC’s Panorama to air Burzynski Documentary – Contact the Skeptics David James, SKEPT!CAL blog, East England Skeptical Society, 25/05/13
- Predictions and hopes about Panorama on Burzynski David James, SKEPT!CAL blog, East England Skeptical Society, 31/05/13
- Curing cancer or ‘selling hope’ to the vulnerable? Richard Bilton, BBC Panorama, BBC News Health, 03/06/13
- Burzynski Rufus Hound, The Dog’s B’logs, 03/06/13
- Burzynski on Panorama: More details ahead of tonight’s airing. David James, SKEPT!CAL blog, East England Skeptical Society, 03/06/13
- Did Burzynski lie to the BBC? Josephine Jones, 03/06/13
- Stanislaw Burzynski versus the BBC Orac, Respectful Insolence, 04/06/13
- The complex, convoluted tale of Dr. B. on Panorama R Blaskiewicz, Doubtful News, 04/06/13
- Burzynski BBC Panorama live tweets Josephine Jones, Storify, 04/06/13
- Amelia’s family ‘mislead by cancer clinic’ James Ashford, Reading Post, 05/06/13
- Bob Blaskiewicz Burzynski and Panorama Interview Skeptically Challenged, 05/06/13
- Médico en EE.UU. ¿cura el cáncer o vende esperanza a los más vulnerables? Richard Bilton, BBC Mundo, 06/06/13
- Mother’s doubt on treatment given to terminally ill daughter in the Burzynski Clinic, Texas Kathryn Snowdon, Watford Observer, 07/06/13
- Ofcom Broadcast Bulletin Issue 243 02/12/13
Other UK media coverage
- Real life: I’ll do anything I can to stay alive for my baby Alison Smith-Squire, Daily Mirror, 27/05/11
- Exeter family hit twice by cancer ‘fights on’ for child Chloe Axford and Lynne French, BBC News Devon, 19/08/11
- BBC promoting funding for Quackery? Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 31/08/11
- The worst year of my life: cancer has my family in its grip Luke Bainbridge, The Observer, 20/11/11
- Emails regarding the Burzynski Clinic not published in The Observer Josephine Jones, 27/11/11
- The Observer and The Burzynski Clinic nucella, Nucella’s Blog, 30/11/11
- Burzynski critics respond to The Observer Readers’ editor Josephine Jones, 05/12/11
- Cancer girl’s £130,000 plea for life-saving operation in US Rob Parsons, London Evening Standard, 14/12/11
- Dear Evening Standard, it is immoral to promote the Burzynski Clinic Josephine Jones, 16/12/11
- Buryznski: A small Victory Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 21/12/11
- Dr Hilary Jones Promotes Questionable Burzynski Clinic on TV Andy Lewis, The Quackometer, 21/12/11
- The Evening Standard fail to address my concerns about the Burzynski clinic – will the PCC act on this? Josephine Jones, 22/12/11
- Northenden mum’s last-ditch fundraising bid to beat brain cancer Tom Brooks-Pollock, South Manchester Reporter, 12/01/12
- ‘I couldn’t believe it … I thought of the kids and what I was going to say to them’ Hannah Bargery, Warrington Guardian, 12/01/12
- Burzynski Clinic in the Observer: PCC response Adam Jacobs, Dianthus Medical Blog, 27/01/12
- PCC rule that Evening Standard Burzysnki article did not breach the Editors’ Code Josephine Jones, 27/01/12
- ITV’s Daybreak describe Dr Hilary Jones’ comments on Burzynski as ‘studiously neutral’ Josephine Jones, 27/01/12
- If the media care about Burzynski’s patients they must pull their heads out of the sand Josephine Jones, 29/04/12
- Race against time for Ilfracombe cancer sufferer Tony Gussin, North Devon Gazette, 06/03/13
- Four misleading cancer testimonials and “reverse balance” Orac, Respectful Insolence, 22/10/13
- ‘I feel empowered, in control of my body’: four women on fighting cancer with alternative therapies Anna Moore, The Telegraph, 20/10/13
- Rochester mum Laura Hymas given 12 months to live walks down the aisle at the Little Hermitage in Strood after miracle recovery Rebecca Hughes, Kentonline, 08/11/13
- Young mother with brain cancer given just a year to live BEATS the disease and gets married after having controversial treatment in the US Anna Hodgekiss, Daily Mail, 08/11/13
UPDATE 05/03/12: Burzynski in New Zealand
- Hope for toddler with rare tumour Matthew Theunissen, NZ Herald, 02/03/12
- Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski strikes again Orac, Respectful Insolence, 02/03/12
- NZ Herald does no research, helps spread false hope (again) Siouxsie Wiles, Infectious Thoughts, 02/03/12
- Dear journalists and editors Grant Jacobs, Code for Life, 02/03/12
Cancer treatment and conspiracy theories
As Cancer Research UK explain (link below), there is a pervasive and dangerous myth that the ‘cancer industry’ is suppressing pioneering work in a bid to sell more drugs. I say ‘dangerous’ because those espousing this idea often also deny the efficacy of conventional treatment and point to the well known side effects, not only giving vulnerable people false hope but also denying them effective treatment.
The most extreme version of this conspiracy argues that the conventional treatment itself is killing people, rather than the cancer. To give examples, I have linked to a post by Mike Adams, the self proclaimed ‘Health Ranger’, where he expresses this view in no uncertain terms. Notably, Adams has interviewed Dr Burzynski (on InfoWars), where they claimed that the authorities are using ‘criminal activity’ to suppress Burzynski’s pioneering work.
Yet it appears Dr Burzynski does actually treat his patients with chemotherapy drugs – at inflated prices. Evidence of this is to be found on patients’ blogs, including that of Wayne and Lisa Merritt linked below. It also transpires that ‘antineoplastons’ are by-products of the metabolism of sodium phenylbutyrate, as reported here (see section below).
Supporters of Dr Burzynski often argue that the FDA have been part of a conspiracy to suppress him. However, the FDA have continued to approve Burzynski’s clinical trials. They don’t seem to have taken regulatory action against Burzynski since the 2009 warning letter to the Burzynski Research Institute (UPDATE 07/11/12 The FDA issued a warning letter to Dr Burzynski last month). They have even approved a phase III trial. It could even be argued that the FDA are protecting Burzynski.
This conspiracy theory is at the heart of the Cut Poison Burn film which featured Dr Burzynski and patients.
In October 2012, Dr Burzynski is to speak at a conference on “cutting edge and innovative ways of treating cancer”. This ‘Cancer Convention’ is hosted by the Cambridge Institute of Complementary Health and is due to to take place at the National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham, England. Dr Burzynski will be sharing a platform with several others also promoting dubious unproven cancer treatments. (EDIT 29/04/12 It has been announced that Dr Burzynski no longer plans to attend).
- CUT POISON BURN 08/10/10
- There’s no conspiracy – sometimes it just doesn’t work Kat Arney, Cancer Research UK, 06/07/11
- Helpful Poisons, noodlemaz, Purely a figment of your imagination, 26/09/11
- The Burzynski Research Institute’s Cancer Treatment Threatens Big Pharma. Alex Jones’ Infowars.com 20/10/11
- Steve Jobs dead at 56, his life ended prematurely by chemotherapy and radiotherapy for cancer Mike Adams, NaturalNews.com, 06/11/11
- BurzysnkiSCAM.com Wayne & Lisa Merritt
- My Experience with Alternative Medicine KarlS, Patients against Lymphoma
- *A CURE, KICKING CANCER’S ASS!!! MUST READ!* Ryan Marshall, Change.org, November 2011
- Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski’s “personalized gene-targeted cancer therapy”: Can he do what he claims for cancer? David Gorski, Science-Based Medicine, 05/12/11
- The Cancer Industry Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 08/12/11
- When Cancer Claims Are Beyond Belief David Sampson, ACS Pressroom Blog, American Cancer Society, 12/12/11
- Dr Burzynski Comes to the UK Andy Lewis, The Quackometer, 16/03/12
- Is the FDA Protecting Burzynski? Majikthyse, 25/04/11
- “Alternative” cancer cures in 1979: How little things have changed David Gorski, Science Based Medicine, 29/04/13
What are antineoplastons? Is there evidence that they work?
(UPDATE 23/01/13 With the exception of the Publications page, there is no longer any mention of ‘antineoplastons’ or ‘ANPs’ on the Burzynski Clinic website. The “What are Antineoplastons?” page has been taken down. Details on the clinical trials have also recently been removed from the site – this includes the claim that a phase III trial was expected to begin in 2012.)
‘Antineoplastons’ are the by-products of the body’s metabolism of the orphan drug sodium phenylbutyrate. David Gorski’s 12th December article discusses this in more detail and includes information on trials that have been carried out on sodium phenylbutyrate and cancer.
Burzynski’s work on antineoplastons has been ongoing for over thirty years with no reliable evidence of efficacy. The scientific community have been unable to review data from Dr Burzynski’s clinical trials because he has not made sufficient information public. He has, however, taken part in a persuasive and misleading ‘movie’, which implies medical efficacy without actually presenting any reliable evidence to back this up.
Eric Merola, who directed the Burzynski Movie, claims to be an independent documentary film maker. In December 2012, as part of his work on a follow up movie, he wrote to the employers of Bob Blaskiewicz, a vocal critic of Burzynski, pointing out Bob’s ‘extra-curricular activities’. This email also made the false assertion that antineoplastons are FDA approved.
The Burzynski clinic imply that antineoplastons and sodium phenylbutyrate are ‘gene targeted’ and in saying this, also imply that this means that side effects are minimal. Literature available from the clinic website claims that Antineoplastons ‘switch on’ tumour suppressor genes and ‘switch off’ oncogenes. This equates to a claim that antineoplastons (or sodium phenylbutyrate) has conscious thought to switch on the genes we like and switch off the ones we don’t. It’s simply not possible.
Data submitted by the Burzynski Clinic to the FDA (reported in the Houston Chronicle) was not favourable. Of 828 patients, Dr Burzynski reported that 36 responded to treatment. Of these 36, 50 % withdrew from study due to patient request, worsening condition or growth of tumour, 44 % were still receiving antineoplastons at the time of the report and one patient discontinued antineoplastons while the tumor was reported to be responding. Eleven of the 36 patients had died, according to the report.
UPDATE 23/02/13 The Houston Chronicle have moved their archives. The same information was reported elsewhere (eg here) and on other sites, linked below.
The Burzynski Patient Group describes antineoplastons as ‘non toxic’. Yet the FDA noted that hypernatraemia, or an excess of sodium in the blood, was noted in 65 % of the 404 patients participating in a study and it that it may have contributed to the deaths of at least seven patients. Hypernatraemia can lead to central nervous system problems, coma and even death.
It has been noted that dexamethasone (a steroid listed in Burzynski’s patient information as being administered alongside antineoplastons) can make it appear as if tumours are shrinking, or indeed vanishing, when they are not.
In a warning letter dated 18/10/12, the FDA asked the Burzynski Clinic to remove material suggesting antineoplastons are safe and/or effective from their website. In early 2013, antineoplastons more or less disappeared from the Burzynski website and it also emerged that the FDA are carrying out an audit. It was reported on a patient blog that Burzynski is no longer able to treat new patients with antineoplastons (see Legal and ethical concerns, below).
- Cancer specialists even more skeptical about alleged cures Chris Gainor, The Vancouver Sun 03/12/82
- ‘Antineoplastons’ An Unproved Cancer Therapy Saul Green PhD, Journal of the American Medical Association, 03/06/92 (with Burzysnki Clinic’s rebuttal attached)
- FDA’s data on Burzynski therapy unfavorable Ruth Sorelle, Houston Chronicle Archives, 30/04/98
- FDA: Houston doctor’s cancer data shows treatment has little effect Terri Langford, Associated Press, 1998
- The Antineoplaston Anomaly: How a Drug Was Used for Decades in Thousands of Patients with no Safety, Efficacy Data The Cancer Letter, Vol. 24, No. 36, 25/09/98
- Doctor accused of flawed research Terri Langford, Associated Press, 30/09/98
- Oncologists criticize methods used in researching cancer treatment Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, 01/10/98
- Burzynski The Movie: Does It Prove The Efficacy of Antineoplastons Against Cancer? jli, Anaximperator blog, 22/11/11
- Stanislaw Burzynski: Bad medicine, a bad movie, and bad P.R. David Gorski, Science Based Medicine, 28/11/11
- Antineoplastons Dr. Robert, Skeptical Health, 28/11/11
- Burzynski The Movie: Hitting you over the head with pseudoscience, just like Burzynski the man Orac, Respectful Insolence, 29/11/11
- Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski, antineoplastons, and the selling of an orphan drug as a cancer cure David Gorski, Science-Based Medicine, 12/12/11
- We Were Wrong About Burzynski The Twenty-First Floor, 12/12/11
- Burzynski: Morally reprehensible Rhys Morgan, 13/01/12
- Burzynski: Toxic Treatment? Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 08/04/12
- Antineoplastons: Not gene targeted. Almost certainly not curative. Lightbluesquare, The Twenty-First Floor, 15/06/12
- The Secret of Burzynskis “success”? Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 05/09/12
- Burzynski Filmmaker Contacts My EMPLOYER?!?! Bob Blaskiewicz, Skeptical Humanities, 07/01/2013
- Another way to join the Skeptics for the Protection of Cancer Patients’ campaign, plus: It is noticed that Stanislaw Burzynski has thrown information about his “clinical trials” down the ol’ memory hole Orac, Respectful Insolence, 22/01/13
- Happy Birthday, Dr Burzynski… and goodbye, antineoplastons Josephine Jones, 23/01/13
- A study of antineoplastons fails to be published. Stanislaw Burzynski’s propagandist Eric Merola whines about it. News at 11. Orac, Respectful Insolence, 12/08/13
- More evidence of Burzynski’s dishonesty Adam Jacobs, Dianthus Medical, 16/10/13
UPDATE 31/05/13 Burzynski: Cancer is Serious Business, part II
- Burzynski – the sequel Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 17/02/13
- As Josh Duhamel shills for the Burzynski Clinic, Eric Merola prepares to carpet bomb the blogosphere with nonsense Orac, Respectful Insolence, 18/02/13
- Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski’s cancer “success stories” David Gorski, Science-Based Medicine, 18/02/13
- Burzynski: The Japanese research Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 17/02/13
- Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski’s cancer “success” stories update: Why is the release of the Burzynski sequel being delayed? David Gorski, Science Based Medicine, 04/03/13
- Anticipating the Burzynski sequel Josephine Jones, 09/03/13
- “Burzynski II” Fails to Convince Brian Thompson, jref, 13/03/13
- Virtual Skeptics #30 – 3/13/2013 The Virtual Skeptics, 13/03/13
- The fundamental intellectual dishonesty of Eric Merola and his promotion of Stanislaw Burzynski Orac, Respectful Insolence, 15/04/13
- False takedown claims filed against Burzynski critic… Bob Blaskiewicz, Skeptical Humanities, 18/04/13
- Is Eric Merola issuing bogus DMCA takedown notices against critics of Stanislaw Burzynski? Orac, Respectful Insolence, 19/04/13
- A Film Producer, A Cancer Doctor, And Their Critics Peter Lipson, Forbes, 19/04/13
- Eric Merola and Stanislaw Burzynski’s secret weapon against The Skeptics™: Fabio Lanzoni (I kid you not) Orac, Respectful Insolence, 30/04/13
- Fact-checking Burzynski II The Houston Cancer Quack
- Eric Merola and Stanislaw Burzynski’s secret weapon against The Skeptics™: Fabio Lanzoni (Part 2) Orac, Respectful Insolence, 08/05/13
- In which the latest movie about Stanislaw Burzynski’s “cancer cure” is reviewed…with Insolence Orac, Respectful Insolence, 03/06/13
- In which Orac does Stanislaw Burzynski propagandist Eric Merola a favor… Orac, Respectful Insolence, 17/07/13
UPDATE 23/07/12: Burzynski’s Publications
- Analysing Burzynski Adam Cuerden, The Twenty-First Floor, 27/11/11
- A look at the Burzynski clinic’s publications Jen, Blaghag, 29/11/11
- More damning revelations about Burzynski’s “research”Jen, Blaghag, 30/11/11
- Burzynski’s “research” – Part 1 Peter Bowditch, The Millenium Project, 21/07/12
- Burzynski’s “research” – Part 2 Peter Bowditch, The Millenium Project, 21/07/12
- Burzynski: the Clinical trials Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 03/11/12
- Burzynski vindicated? Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 07/01/13
- Burzynski: The Japanese research Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 17/02/13
- Burzynski: The CDA-2 Saga Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 22/02/13
- Dolcefino: “Burzynski has published!” Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor 28/02/13
Hope
- False hope? Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 20/05/11
- How much does hope cost? Buffy, And another thing…, 23/05/11
- Burzynski in Ireland; arguing with believers Buffy, And another thing…, 04/11/11
- Would you kick a dying man? Anon, 21/11/11 (also posted here, 11/11/12)
- False hope and real living, Dr Margaret McCartney, Margaret McCartney’s blog, 27/11/11
- Pioneering treatment or quackery? How to decide Dorothy Bishop, BishopBlog, 04/12/11
- Burzynski and Patient Choice Buffy, And another thing…, 12/03/12
Patients
The Burzynski Patient Group (which until at least June 2012 still listed Marc Stephens under ‘Marketing and Sponsorship’ here) comprises ‘current and former patients of the Burzynski Clinic, their families, friends, and supporters’. Patients’ names are listed on the site. Presumably the implication is that these people are either current or former patients who are being or have been treated successfully. Not all those listed are still alive.
Patients’ medical records are shown on the site, along with testimonials. Although testimonials aren’t reliable evidence, they are often presented as such by supporters of the clinic. It also strikes me as unethical and distasteful, not only to charge patients vast sums of money to take part in clinical trials, but also to use their medical records in what is effectively promotional material.
Current patients who are the subject of fundraising campaigns (for example, as covered in the newspaper articles linked above) tend to have their own websites which act as a focus for their fundraising and also enable them to discuss their experiences. These are generally full of hope for recovery.
Cari Lynn wrote an honest and insightful article detailing her experience as a patient (and also as someone who had campaigned on behalf of the Burzynski clinic). She wrote
Burzynski’s staff of doctors continued to tell me my increasing pain wasn’t a sign of toxicity but was more “tumor breakdown,” evidence that the high doses were working.
Biopsies from another clinic showed that the cancer was in fact spreading.
Other former patients (and families) who have been unhappy with their experience with the clinic include Lola Quinlan and Robin Reid (who sought damages in court), Wayne and Lisa Merritt (who have received threatening emails from Marc Stephens after writing of their experience), Michele and Edward Price, Andy Cayon and ‘KarlS’ – who wrote of his experience on the Lymphomation. Org ‘Patients Against Lymphoma‘ site. (EDIT 19/05/12 Lola Quinlan died on 17th May.)
In some cases (eg Edward Price, Andy Cayon and Andrea Walsh), the Burzynski clinic have misread or ignored MRI scans and suggested that patients were getting better when in fact they were not.
In 1986, the Houston Chronicle reported that Dr Burzynski made a $300,000 settlement with a Pasadena couple, Stanley and Bernice Zabodyn, whose daughter died of cancer despite “his claimed drug cure produced from human urine”. In 1998, they also reported that Mark and Susan Bedient were seeking unspecified damages for the death of their 10-year-old daughter, Christina, in 1996. This case was settled in 2000 Dr Burzynski by return of a ‘small amount’ of the patient’s treatment expenses.
In November 2012, the daughter of a patient posted a series of YouTube videos relating to the Burzynski Clinic and her father’s treatment. In one of these, she said that her father had been persuaded to refuse chemotherapy elsewhere in favour of treatment at the Burzynski Clinic – for which the family had to fundraise. She also said that the clinic had produced a laboratory report, seen by two members of the patients family, which claimed the patient had shown a reduction in brain cancer when the patient never had brain cancer and had never had an MRI scan.
There are also blog posts linked below looking into the progress of people who had been the subject of public fundraising campaigns in the past. The OTHER Burzynski Patient Group, set up in December 2012, is a site consisting of posts on individual patients and their stories, sourced from information they have posted online.
These don’t make pleasant reading but they are important. Read them.
- COURTS/POLICE Houston Chronicle Archives, 04/03/86
- Woman’s faith in doctor faded as husband’s health failed Ruth Sorelle, Houston Chronicle Archives, 05/01/97
- Hope Fades Faith Steps In. Cancer Patient Confronts Reality When Alternative Treatment Fails Hilary Waldman, Hartford Courant, 12/01/97
- Trials of a Cancer Doc. Experimental drugs and a 20-year fight with the FDA Shannon Brownlee and Gary Cohen, US News and World Report, 27/09/98
- Family sues Burzynski in girl’s cancer death Ron Nissimov, Houston Chronicle Archives, 11/07/98
- Andy Cayon, 35, After Long Fight With Cancer Hilary Waldman, Hartford Courant, 10/07/00
- To save my life Cari Lynn, Encognitive.com
- War On Cancer? Nope. It’s A War On Cancer PATIENTS Heather, the Mommypotamus, 16/11/11
- Stanislaw Burzynski’s public record RJB, Skeptical Humanities, 26/11/11
- The ones Burzynski doesn’t boast about anarchic teapot, Short and Spiky, 27/11/11
- More patients whose deaths Burzynski has presided over… Skeptical Humanities, 05/12/11
- A patient you won’t hear about from Stanislaw Burzynski or his apologists Orac, Respectful Insolence, 16/02/12
- Another Burzynski patient dies Orac, Respectful Insolence, 07/03/12
- Burzynski’s Ghosts Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 21/03/12
- The Old Lies are the Cruelest Unity, Ministry of Truth, 08/05/12
- Two more tragic tales of Burzynski patients Orac, Respectful Insolence, 10/05/12
- Jerry Davich: Husband to dying wife: ‘You need to find peace’ Jerry Davich, Post-Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, 19/05/12
- Stanislaw Burzynski fails to save another patient Orac, Respectful Insolence, 02/11/12
- Skeptic News: Fake records at the Burzynski clinic? The Twenty-First Floor, 06/11/12
- The OTHER Burzynski Patient Group 04/12/12 onwards
- Two Stanislaw Burzynski’s “success stories” Orac, Respectful Insolence, 11/03/13
- Eric Merola’s conspiracy-mongering and more of Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski’s cancer “success” stories David Gorski, Science Based Medicine, 15/04/13
- Deconstructing another Stanislaw Burzynski cancer “success story”Orac, Respectful Insolence, 09/05/13
- The sad saga of Fabio Lanzoni’s sister Christina’s battle with ovarian cancer, partially revealed Orac, Respectful Insolence, 16/09/13
What the clinic tell prospective patients
In emails to those considering treatment, the Burzynski Clinic have recommended misleading websites such as the Burzynski Patient Group (discussed above). They have also misled people about treatment, claiming that antineoplastons are a targeted gene therapy with few, if any side effects.
- Disrespectful and dubious Burzynski marketing Josephine Jones, 31/05/12
- The Burzynski Clinic misleads prospective patients Josephine Jones, 31/05/12
Legal and ethical concerns
Several serious concerns have been raised about Dr Burzynski and his companies. These include charging patients hundreds of thousands of dollars to take part in ‘clinical trials’, failing to publish data from the trials, prescribing chemotherapy expensively and unconventionally, misleading patients and attempting to suppress critics by accusing them of conspiring with the authorities.
The Texas Medical Board has instituted proceedings against Stanslaw Burzynski which could lead to the revocation of his medical licence. The hearing was due to take place on April 11th 2012 though has been delayed. Related documents (see “2/9/12”) on the Texas Medical Board website give an interesting and worrying insight into practices at the clinic.
UPDATE 26/11/12 The Texas Medical Board case has been dropped. The reasons for this seem to be that Dr Burzynski was not the treating physician of the patients in question, nor was held responsible for those who were.
It was reported in January 2012 that Lola Quinlan, a former patient, was seeking damages in court for negligence, negligent misrepresentation, fraud, deceptive trade and conspiracy. She said that the defendants failed to disclose that her treatment was part of a clinical trial and charged her $500 per pill for drugs she could buy elsewhere for a fraction of that price. Ms Quinlan died on 17th May 2012 with the case still unresolved. This case also involved another former patient, Ms Robin Reid.
UPDATE 26/11/12 The defendants had attempted to get the Lola Quinlan case dismissed shortly after her death but Ms Quinlan’s representatives asked that this motion be denied (18/06/12). Then just over a month later (23/07/12), the case was actually dismissed (on plaintiff’s motion). We can only speculate on the reasons for this. I am aware of no recent news reports on this case. The relevant documents are available from the Harris County District Clerk website.
These recent legal cases are just the latest in a long list…
In 1986 Dr Burzynski made a $300,000 settlement with a Pasadena couple, Stanley and Bernice Zabodyn, whose daughter died after treatment which they believe increased her pain and hastened her death. In 2000, Dr Burzynski returned a ‘small amount’ of treatment expenses to Mark and Susan Bedient, who had been seeking damages for the death of their 10-year-old.
In 1983, following a request from the US FDA, Dr Burzynski was barred by a District judge in Texas from shipping his unapproved ‘antineoplastons’ across state lines. This means that patients had to travel to Texas for treatment, taking their antineoplastons home with them.
In 1985, government officials obtained a warrant which authorised a search for and seizure of records and other property that reflected distribution of antineoplastons outside Texas and other records that would show the antineoplastons had been and were being distributed in interstate commerce. In response, Dr. Burzynski and the Burzynski Research Institute filed a counterclaim seeking damages, injunctive relief, and contempt orders against the government and named FDA employees. Patients alleged that seizure of their medical records was unreasonable, in violation of the fourth and fifth amendments, and infringed their constitutional rights to privacy, to life, and to obtain medical treatment.
In 1986, the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners notified Dr Burzynski that it was concerned about his antineoplaston treatment and about whether his drug was safe and therapeutic to patients. Dr Burzynski and the Board entered into an affidavit agreement under which the Board was supplied with partial medical records of some patients. Two oncologists reviewed these records, covering approximately 60 patients, and were unable to conclude with any certainty that the patients benefitted from the antineoplastons.
In May 1988, the Texas Department of Health informed Dr Burzynski by letter that his use of antineoplastons violated section 18 of the Texas Health & Safety Code. Soon after receiving a copy of the letter, the Board initiated an administrative proceeding
Dr Burzynski was charged by the Board with three types of misconduct in four counts. Counts I and II alleged that Dr. Burzynski’s use of antineoplastons violated section 18 of the Health & Safety Code which also constitutes a violation of section 3.08(4)(A) of the TMPA. Count III charged Dr. Burzynski with violating the false advertising statute in addition to committing false advertising in violation of TMPA sections 3.08(6) and 3.08(4)(A). Count IV charged Dr. Burzynski with collecting a fee for his treatment in violation of federal regulations and TMPA section 3.08(4)(G).
Hearings began on May 24, 1993, and at their conclusion, an administrative law judge issued a Proposal for Decision, finding for Dr Burzynski on Counts I, II and IV and for the Board on Count III in part. The administrative law judge found that it is was legal for Dr Burzynski to administer antineoplastons to his patients in Texas. Despite the Proposal for Decision, the Board issued its own findings of facts and conclusions of law and concluded that it is and always has been illegal for Dr. Burzynski to use his antineoplastons in Texas because TMPA section 5.09 does not allow physicians to prescribe drugs that have not been approved by the FDA.
Upon judicial review, the district court found the Board’s order “in violation of constitutional and statutory provisions, affected by other error of law, and arbitrary and capricious or characterized by abuse of discretion or clearly unwarranted exercise of discretion,” reversed it in its entirety, and dismissed the cause.
In 1994, Burzynski was found guilty of fraud for claiming reimbursement from a health insurer for an illegally administered cancer treatment.
In 1998, Burzynski was ordered to cease and desist selling antineoplastons outside of FDA supervised clinical trials.
In 2009, the FDA issued a warning letter to the Burzynski Research Institute, stating that an investigation had determined the Burzynski Institutional Review Board (IRB) “did not adhere to the applicable statutory requirements and FDA regulations governing the protection of human subjects.”
Dr Burzynski requests that donations towards ‘Clinical Trials and Research’ are made to him personally. The following statement appears here:
The Burzynski Clinic accepts monetary dontations toward the continuation of the Clinical Trials and Research. You donate by check or Money Order payable to: S.R.Burzynski, M.D., Ph.D. Please note that donations are not tax deductible.
In a warning letter to Dr Burzynski, dated 18th October 2012, the FDA pointed out that the websites of the Burzynski Clinic and the Burzynski Research Institute (including posted press releases and embedded videos) had been promoting antineoplastons as safe and effective for the purposes for which they are being investigated. Since ANPs are investigational new drugs, the websites were found to be in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the
FD&C Act) and FDA implementing regulations. 21 CFR 312.7(a).
UPDATE 07/01/13 It appears that the Burzynski Clinic are currently undergoing an FDA audit and have been stopped from giving antineoplastons to new patients.
- Cancer drug barred from shipment St Joseph News-Press, 23/04/83
- Judge limits distribution of cancer drug to Texas Star News, 05/22/83
- COURTS/POLICE Houston Chronicle Archives, 04/03/86
- UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Counter Defendant-Appellee,v. BURZYNSKI CANCER RESEARCH INSTITUTE, et al.,
Defendants-Counter Plaintiffs- Appellants and
Janice Kuharzyk, and Other Patients of Dr. Stanislaw R.
Burzynski, et al., Intervenors-Counter Plaintiffs-Appellants. United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, OpenJurist, 25/06/87 - TRUSTEES OF THE NORTHWEST LAUNDRY AND DRY CLEANERS HEALTH & WELFARE TRUST FUND, Plaintiff-Appellee, v.Stanislaw R. BURZYNSKI, Defendant-Appellant United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, 28/07/94
- NO. 03-95-00222-CV,Texas State Board of Medical Examiners, Appellant v. Stanislaw R. Burzynski, M.D., Ph.D., Appellee DISTRICT COURT OF TRAVIS COUNTY, 353RD JUDICIAL DISTRICT, TEXAS COURT OF APPEALS, THIRD DISTRICT, 07/02/96
- Limits Placed on Burzynski’s Cancer Treatment Texas Attorney General’s Office News Release, Quackwatch, 10/02/98
- Family sues Burzynski in girl’s cancer death Ron Nissimov, Houston Chronicle Archives, 11/07/98
- Warning letter to Carlton F. Hazlewood, Burzysnki Research Institute IRB Leslie K. Ball, US Food and Drug Administration, 05/10/09
- LEGAL PROCEEDINGS. Excerpt from 10KSB SEC Filing Burzynski Research Institute Inc, Edgar Online, 02/05/01
- The weird world of US ethics regulation Professor Dorothy Bishop, BishopBlog, 25/11/11
- Big business in Texas Alan Henness, Zeno’s Blog, 26/11/11
- Could the Burzynski clinic fall foul of UK law? Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 28/11/11
- Clinical Trials for Sale Majikthyse, 28/11/11
- Texas Medical Board vs Burzynski Unity, Ministry of Truth, 28/11/11
- Burzynski: naturals not in it Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 29/11/11
- Should you invest in Burzynski stock? anarchic teapot, Short and Spiky, 29/11/11
- #Burzynski Clinic Facebook page claims to cure cancer Jon S, Nothing Special, 30/11/11
- Burzynski: Morally reprehensible Rhys Morgan, 13/01/12
- Cancer Patient Says Doc Used her as ATM Cameron Langford, Courthouse News Service, 19/01/12
- Burzynski in Court: Patient treated like a ‘Cash Machine’ Andy Lewis, The Quackometer, 19/01/12
- Lola Quinlan vs Stanislaw Burzynski MD, Burzynski Clinic, The Burzynski Research Institute, Inc and Southern Family Pharmacy, Inc District Court of Harris County, Texas 18/01/12 (posted by Peter Bowditch, The Millenium Project 20/02/12)
- More trouble for Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski Orac, Respectful Insolence, 20/01/12
- Houston cancer doctor draws new complaints from patients Stephen Dean, Click2Houston.com, 01/02/12
- Board Orders, SOAH, STANISLAW RAJMUND BURZYNSKI, MD Texas Medical Board
- Will Stanislaw Burzynski slither away from justice again? Orac, Respectful Insolence, 07/04/12
- Investigating Burzynski Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 15/08/12
- Stanislaw Burzynski versus regulations protecting human research subjects Orac, Respectful Insolence, 16/08/12
- Who is Carlton Hazlewood, the Burzynski clinic IRB chair?
Doctor Paul Morgan, The Twenty-First Floor, 17/08/12 - Burzynski and misleading advertising Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 06/11/12
- Stanislaw Burzynski: Slapped down by the FDA once again Orac, Respectful Insolence, 07/11/12
- FDA’s Confusing Action Against Burzynski – What Does it Really Mean? Catherine Shaffer, BioWorld, 06/11/12
- Skeptic News: Another Burzynski case dismissed. But why? The Twenty-First Floor, 22/11/12
- Stanislaw Burzynski gets off on a technicality Orac, Respectful Insolence, 26/11/12
- Texas Medical Board discontinues prosecution of noted cancer quack Xeni Jardin, boingboing, 26/11/12
- Burzynski: harming without care? Keir Liddle, Josephine Jones blog, 07/02/13
- The Burzynski Soap Opera majikthyse, 09/02/13
- Burzynski fought the law Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 05/03/13
- Burzynski fought the law: part II Josephine Jones, The Twenty-First Floor, 06/03/13 (also posted here).
- Burzynski sued again Josephine Jones 09/05/13
UPDATE 31/05/13 On the latest FDA inspection (see also comments by Wayne Dolcefino, below):
- MRI Day, copy of patient blog 06/02/13
- Burzynski: Harming without care? Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor 13/02/12 (previously posted here on 07/02/13)
- Burzynski: What kind of audit is it anyway? Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor 14/02/13
- FDA Inspection (FOIA requests, Feb 2013) The OTHER Burzynski Patient Group, February 2013
- A Letter to the PBS Ombudsman about CPT12′s Airing of “Burzynski” Bob Blaskiewicz, Skeptical Humanities, 26/03/13
- Stanislaw Burzynski versus regulations protecting human research subjects, revisited Orac, Respectful Insolence, 26/03/13
Wayne Dolcefino
- Burzynski: In dire need of credibility Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor 13/02/13 (previously posted here on 12/02/13)
- Wayne Dolcefino David James, SKEPT!CAL blog, East England Skeptical Society, 13/02/13
- Burzynski: An interview with Wayne Dolcefino Josephine Jones, 13/02/13
- Burzyński: Wayne Dolefino’s Email and my reply David James, SKEPT!CAL blog, East England Skeptical Society, 14/02/13
- Burzynski: Dolcefino confirms business relationship
David James, SKEPT!CAL blog, East England Skeptical Society, 17/02/13 - Burzynski: Dolcefino – Intellectual Dishonesty & The Shifting Sands of Burden David James, SKEPT!CAL blog, East England Skeptical Society, 27/02/13
- Dolcefino: “Burzynski has published!” Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor 28/02/13
- Wayne Dolcefino, The Burzynski Clinic and the Institutional Review Board David James, SKEPT!CAL blog, East England Skeptical Society, 22/04/13
Political contributions
Dr Stanislaw Burzynski and his wife Barbara Burzynski (who is also Director of the Burzynski Research Institute) have both made interesting political contributions.
According to the Texas Tribune Campaign Finance Data (source: Texas Ethics Committee), between November 2000 and December 2011, Stanislaw Burzynski made 27 donations ranging from $50 to $300 to Texpac (Texas Medical Association Political Action Committee.
In September and October 2010, he also made contributions of $1000 and $5000 to Texas Governor Rick Perry’s campaign.
But the most surprising figure is the $50,000 donated by Barbara Burzynski to the Conservative Republicans of Texas. Unsurprisingly, ‘Conservative Republicans’ believe in free-market solutions to health care and in cutting government spending and regulation.
Incidentally, Conservative Republicans also campaign against abortion – or as they call it, for the ‘sanctity of human life’ (while supporting capital punishment and the right to own guns). They also don’t believe that homosexuality should (in their words) be taught as an ‘acceptable alternative lifestyle’.
Dr Burzynski’s CV
Here it is, all forty-three pages of it – where it transpires he is a hereditary Count and also seems to believe antineoplastons are a suitable treatment for AIDS.
You may also notice that the UK Royal Society of Medicine is listed under ‘Memberships’. This is not as impressive as it first appears.
Following speculation about Dr Burzynski’s PhD, including Peter Bowditch’s failed attempts to track it down (detailed on Ratbags.com), the Clinic’s 29th November press release stated that a copy of the official affidavit would be put up on the Burzynski clinic website. This appeared on 7th December and is linked below.
- CURRICULUM VITAE, Stanislaw R. Burzynski, M.D., Ph.D. Stanislaw Burzynski, The Burzynski Clinic
- Burzynski bastardry continues Peter Bowditch, The Millenium Project, Ratbags.com 26/11/11
- SWORN STATEMENT AND AFFIDAVIT, Medical Academy of Lublin, Poland (linked from Burzynski Clinic site on 07/12/11)
- Burzynski: When is a PhD not a PhD? Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 07/12/11
- “Alternative” cancer cures in 1979: How little things have changed David Gorski, Science Based Medicine, 29/04/13
- How Stanislaw Burzynski became Burzynski the Brave Maverick Doctor, part 1 Orac, Respectful Insolence, 22/07/13
- A strange honor for Stanislaw Burzynski from and order authorized by the Catholic Church Orac, Respectful Insolence, 25/07/13
Burzynski also sells Aminocare Brain Longevity supplement, which is marketed with a view to preventing Alzheimers. The company make several other unsubstantiated health claims about the product:
- It’s Burzynski, Jim, but not as we know it. Zenbuffy, And another thing…, 05/03/12
A Google search for patents in Burzynski’s name also unearths some eye-opening results – such as Toothpaste containing anticancer agents, Methods for treating aids, Methods for treating Parkinson’s disease and PERFORATED TAPE PERFORATOR.
The Streisand Effect
As a result of Marc Stephens and Dozier trying to get three posts deleted, over a hundred new posts appeared in less than six days and the story has now been reported in the press. There is a wide diversity of new Burzynski blogs – with the story being reported from at least three continents, in at least four languages (EDIT 02/12/11 now five) and in the form of prose, poetry and pictures.
As a result, the Burzynski Clinic issued this misleading press release (discussed here, here, here, here and here) regarding ‘recent internet activity between UK bloggers who have provided inaccurate factual information regarding the Clinic and Marc Stephens’.
The posts they tried to ban
The Genomic Repairman took his post down after a ‘cease and desist’ email from Marc Stephens, in which he claimed to be an attorney (according to this comment). The post became public again on 27th November.
David Allen Green – a bold choice of target for Stephens, received a more recent threat. Threatening to sue a prominent lawyer by means of a (presumably) semi-literate and inaccurate rant (judging by the previous efforts) does not seem sensible.
NEW 07/01/13Bob Blaskiewicz published an email his employer received from Eric Merola (director of Burzynski The Movie – Cancer is Serious Business). Merola claimed that Bob’s Disinformation article contained levels of defamation and libel punishable by law for “tortious interference”.
UPDATE 07/12/11 – More than a week after the Burzynski Clinic distanced themselves from Stephens (in the press release dated 29/11/11), Stephens unwisely threatened another lawyer, who also writes a popular blog (Popehat). The problematic post is linked below and the email exchange is here.
UPDATE 14/12/11 – Edward McGuire was accused by Stephens of posting personal information (which he had done, though it was public already) and a death threat (which he had not done).
UPDATE 20/12/11 It also appears that Marc Stephens has been sending threats to a former patient and his wife who have spoken out about their experiences with the Burzynski Clinic.
UPDATE 02/03/12 It appears that Burzynski supporters have succeeded in having a critical post deleted from Yahoo Answers.
- Antineoplastons? You gotta be kidding me! Genomic Repairman, 09/08/10
- The Burzynski Clinic Rhys Morgan, 28/08/11
- The False Hope of the Burzynski Clinic Andy Lewis, The Quackometer, 21/11/11
- Some libel silliness David Allen Green, Jack of Kent, 27/11/11
- Junk Science And Marketeers and Legal Threats, Oh My! Ken, Popehat, 06/12/11
- “I have discovered more about the identity of Marc A. Stephens, a.k.a. “MAS”…” Edward McGuire, Google+, 30/11/11
- BurzysnkiSCAM.com Wayne & Lisa Merritt
- The Burzynski proponents are still actively silencing critics beatis, Anaximperator, 01/03/12
- Stanislaw Burzynski and the Antineoplaston Scam Bob Blaskiewicz, disinformation, 10/11/12
Intimidating legal threats
- The Burzynski Clinic Threatens My Family. Andy Lewis, The Quackometer, 24/11/11
- A Quack Issues Threats Peter Bowditch, The Millenium Project, Ratbags.com, 26/11/11
- But wait, there’s more! Peter Bowditch, The Millenium Project, Ratbags.com 26/11/11 (*That* RED ARROWS email with pictures – sent to Andy Lewis but cc’d to a so called ‘network’ of ‘skeptics’ (not all the email addresses were valid.)
- Response to the Accusations of Marc Stephens The Twenty-First Floor, 26/11/11
- Threats from The Burzynski Clinic Rhys Morgan, 28/11/11
- “Alternative” cancer clinic threatens to sue high school blogger Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 28/11/11
- Statement on libel threats to critics of The Burzynski Clinic Sense about Science, 29/11/11
- The Burzynski Clinic is using libel laws to silence critics of its cancer treatment Rhys Morgan, Comment is free, The Guardian, 30/11/11
- When did the #Burzynski Clinic start harassing bloggers? White Coat Underground 01/12/11
- Tell Me About The Rabbit, Marc Stephens Ken, Popehat, 07/12/11
- “Marc A. Stephens, the cyberstalker of critics of the Burzynski Clinic in Houston, Texas – including a 17 year old boy – has attacked again…” Edward McGuire, Google+, 12/12/11
- Rhys Morgan: ‘They are trying to silence me’ Steven Morris, The Guardian, 14/12/11
- Burzynski Filmmaker Contacts My EMPLOYER?!?! Bob Blaskiewicz, Skeptical Humanities, 07/01/2013
The Burzynski Clinic press release (29/11/11) indicated that bloggers would be contacted by attorneys representing the Clinic. As far as I’m aware, nobody was contacted:
- The Burzynski legal threats: one year on Josephine Jones, 29/11/12
Who is ‘Marc Stephens’?
The Burzynski Clinic press release (29/11/11), stated:
Marc Stephens was recently hired by the Burzynski Clinic as an independent contractor to provide web optimization services and to attempt to stop the dissemination of false and inaccurate information concerning Dr. Burzynski and the Clinic.
We understand that Marc Stephens sent a google map picture of a blogger’s house to the blogger and made personal comments to bloggers. Dr. Burzynski and the Clinic feel that such actions were not appropriate. Dr. Burzynski and the Burzynski Clinic apologize for these comments. Marc Stephens no longer has a professional relationship with the Burzynski Clinic.
He doesn’t come across as the kind of person you would want to represent your company. For example, Beatis describes some unpleasant exchanges on Yahoo Answers, where Stephens writes:
In the end I will be laughing at all of you psychos. Go drink a glass of chemo..on the rocks. You are psycho but at least you have an excuse. Radiation and chemo turned you out..you no longer think with logic.
Prior to this press release, Martin Robbins had been in touch with the Burzynski clinic over the role of Marc Stephens and the legal threats and reported his findings on Google+.
Ken (the author of the Popehat article linked below) has reported Marc Stephens to the Los Angeles District Attorney as he believes that Stephens has fraudulently posed as a lawyer.
- Is Marc Stephens Really A Representative Of Burzynski? Beatis, Anaximperator blog, 26/11/11
- Burzynski Lawyer Distances Clinic From Threats to Bloggers Martin Robbins, Google+, 29/11/11
- Burzynski Clinic Backs Stephens and Will Pursue Bloggers Martin Robbins, Google+, 30/11/11
- Junk Science And Marketeers and Legal Threats, Oh My! Ken, Popehat, 06/12/11
- My Marc Stephens Update, Or, Mr. Snarky Numbered Lists Visits Crazytown Ken, Popehat, 20/12/11
- Marc Stephens Threatens Me Some More Ken, Popehat, 03/02/12
- Skeptic News: Marc Attacks? Keir Liddle, The Twenty-First Floor, 12/06/12
Quote-worthy
This section contains quotes from the hereditary Count himself, as well as an angry Professor and a very jealous man who is begging to be sued:
- Doctors question cancer therapy The Windsor Star, 17/01/83
We were left with the impression that either he knows very little about cancer and the response of different tumors to radiation and hormonal measures or else he thinks that we are very stupid and has tried to hoodwink us
- Cancer Doctor Stanislaw Burzynski Sees Himself as a Crusading Researcher, Not a Quack Craig Malisow, Houston Press, 31/12/08
This is a rather long article but well worth reading. Here are some highlights:
He continually drew his own blood, and that of his extremely accommodating family members, to the point where the volume couldn’t keep up with his research needs. So he collected urine samples, at one point taking them from public restrooms, until he figured out a way to synthesize the antineoplastons.I have the right to do whatever research I want, okay?” he says, followed closely by, “I spent 42 years practicing medicine, doing research, and you are little man for asking such question, okay? Maybe in three years I get Nobel Prize, and you’ll look like a shit, okay, asking me such stupid questions, okay?”
- The cruelty of the Burzynski Clinic must be stopped. Come on, Marc Stephens, make my day Professor David Colquhoun, DC’s Improbable Science, 26/11/11
Never, in the civilised world, are people asked to pay hundreds of thousands of pounds to be a guinea pig.
- Dr Burzynski’s crooked antineoplastons Ron Lewis, Sceptical Letter Writer, 28/11/11
… which said:
“Dr” Stanislaw Burzynski of the Burzynski Clinic (Houston, Texas) is a crook, a conman, a charlatan, a fraud and a quack. This reprehensible little man ruthlessly exploits the desperate relatives of the incurably ill with a series of phoney ‘clinical trials’ whose sole outcome is not to expand the knowledge of mankind, but to separate the poor families from their life savings. “Dr” Burzynski has been making claims for an antineoplaston therapy for the last 35 years yet apparently has not deigned to publish the results of any of his phoney ‘clinical trials’ in any prestigious peer-reviewed medical journal. None of the misleading cancer-treatment claims made by the clinic (on their website and on other social media, such as YouTube) for “Dr” Burzynski’s antineoplaston therapy are supported my the tiniest jot of published rigorous clinical evidence, yet he happily promotes these bogus treatments. I have not seen any evidence that the PhD “Dr” Burzynski claims to hold exists anywhere but in his own imagination (though I do not doubt that “Dr” Burzynski holds a legitimate medical qualification). I have not seen any evidence that “Marc Stephens” is a qualified and registered lawyer, nor indeed that he is even a non-fictitious person. If “Dr” Burzynski or his “lawyer” draw my attention to any factual errors on this page, I should be delighted to correct them upon receipt of substantiating evidence.
Here are my contact details – do get those defamation writs in the post before the Christmas rush! (Don’t be put off by by my winter address. This is still a UK-based blog.)
Quoteworthy though it may be, I don’t expect to see that in print any time soon.
______________________________________
What can I do?
Donate
Skeptics for the Protection of Cancer Patients are fundraising for St Jude’s Chilren’s hospital in honour of Dr Burzynski’s 70th birthday on January 23rd 2013. They aim to raise at least $30,000 by then (the cost of entering one of Burzynski’s trials) and will then challenge Dr Burzynski to match the total sum.
- Happy Birthday, Dr Burzynski The Houston Cancer Quack, 04/01/13
- Fight Childhood Cancer And One Of Its Biggest Profiteers, Stanislaw Burzynski Melanie, Skepchick, 09/01/13
Here are some other suggestions:
- Cancer Research UK
- Cancer Research UK: Childhood cancer: searching for the genes behind the disease
- Macmillan Cancer Support
- CLICSargent
- Marie Curie Cancer Care
Write
This post sets out how you can help boost the Google ranking of good information on the Burzynski Clinic by writing your own articles, using the right keywords and good links.
Writing about Houston Cancer Quack Dr. Burzynski’s Antineoplastons The Houston Cancer Quack, January 2013
You may also wish to write to regulators or to newspapers who are misleadingly reporting on the Burzynski Clinic. There is detailed information on this in my original What can I do about Burzynski? post.
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Here’s my reply to Merola’s #2 (that’s burzynski 2) http://virtualskeptics.com/2013/03/13/virtual-skeptics-30-march-13-2013/
Thanks. I meant to add that at the time and then got sidetracked.
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