Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: Notesfiles; site hp-sdd.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!godot!harvard!seismo!umcp-cs!gymble!lll-crg!dual!amd!fortune!hpda!hplabs!hpisla!hp-sdd!andrea 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