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From: andrea@hp-sdd.UUCP (andrea)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Unconventional Cancer Therapy
Message-ID: <8000014@hp-sdd.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 26-Feb-85 15:40:00 EST
Article-I.D.: hp-sdd.8000014
Posted: Tue Feb 26 15:40:00 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 7-Mar-85 04:24:16 EST
References: <532@tesla.UUCP>
Organization: HP San Diego Division
Lines: 42

>> > Most of today's M.D.'s, especially oncologists, have not had any in-depth
>> > training even in standard nutritional principles, so I find it hard to
>> > understand why they are so against a treatment with such a possibility
>> > for success.  
>
>	Secondly, since my desktop at this very moment is cluttered with
>two reprints entitled:
>	Surgical Nutrition
>and	Cancer: Dietary and Nutritional Aspects
>I resent the insinuation that oncologists specifically and MDs in
>general don't care about nutrition.

I have read a summary of a recent study of curricula in the major
medical schools in the country (I think the study was completed over a
year ago) which revealed that the average amount of time allocated to
nutrition was *FOUR HOURS* over the total 3-4 years of medical school.

Many doctors *DO* care about nutrition (as the respondent above shows),
and to their credit have made an effort to increase their knowledge and
stay up to date in this area.  Since that study came out, more med
schools have made an effort to provide instruction in nutrition,
although it still gets short shrift (hardly surprising, given the
sheer quantity of knowledge being presented during those four years!).

I think that it is not a question of not caring about nutrition, but a
more fundamental split in philosophy between those who sincerely
believe that maximizing health and strengthening the immune system
through good nutrition is a primary tool is helping the body overcome
dis-ease (and drugs can provide supplemental help), and those who
sincerely believe that "well of course nutrition is important, but to
really cure a serious problem you have to use drugs and surgery" (to
grossly oversimplify! :-)

The really heartening trend that I see is that more and more good
physicians are starting to value nutrition in addition to (not in place
of) conventional treatment.  As has been said before, but bears
repeating:  the best doctors have always been holistic.

Andrea Frankel, Hewlett-Packard (San Diego Division) (619) 487-4100 x4664
net:  {allegra|ihnp4|decvax|ucbvax}!hplabs!hp-sdd!andrea 

 ...searchlights casting for faults in the clouds of delusion