Dana Farber Strongly Addresses the John Catanzaro Situation

In an email dated today at 4:12 PM, we received an official statement from Harvard's Dana Farber Cancer Institute. 

Warren and Dee:

We have investigated the matter and taken steps to request that Dr. Catanzaro cease all unauthorized use of our name.

Sincerely,
Teresa Herbert
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Communications Department

It is our hope that Mars Hill and Mark Driscoll will  take steps to notify their followers. Caveat Emptor.

Comments

Dana Farber Strongly Addresses the John Catanzaro Situation — 46 Comments

  1. Thank you for all your hard work, Warren, Dee and Deb. May the truth prevail and become known.

  2. Yes, Thank you for being persistent. I hope this afternoon you got the answers you needed! You guys rock! Ann

  3. Thanks so much Dee and Deb, I told my husband to read the post about the naturopath Catanzaro, he said just reading the guy’s own description of his “qualifications” told him this was someone desperate to fluff his credentials to impress those who would see right through it:

    The first 3 paragraphs of the bio you posted in your first post about him were all either his own creation – his business and his position at the non-profit organization – are all under the umbrella of naturopathic medicine, not medical (FDA tested and proven effective) medicine. In the following paragraphs he states:

    and also was a special advisor for the CDC Cancer Control Partnership for Washington State (2002-2008).

    Yikes! Who is making decisions on hiring at the State level?

    Seattle Magazine nominated him best naturopathic physician. Whoopty, this isn’t a medical physician award, just some magazine that lives off of the naturopathic movement.

    He is a professional member of the American Association for Cancer Research
    …Um, they sell memberships to anyone, you or I could join if we signed up and paid the fee

    Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians
    …again, naturopathic, so not in the medical field here – likely anyone can sign up too.

    Association of Clinical Research Professionals
    …and the requirements to buy a membership are…? Likely open to anyone.

    Academy of Physicians in Clinical Research
    …what about them? Is he a member or not? He just randomly mentions their name.

    He also completed the NIH clinical research training required for ( principle ) *notice the incorrect choice of principle – it should read principal* investigators.
    Again, an on-line course anyone could take – not a researcher at NIH

    Dr. Catanzaro is pioneering movement toward personalized genetic and adaptive integrative immune treatment to fight cancer. He is working (in a private movement with expert Dana Farber Cancer Institute/ Harvard cancer scientists)* in the area of cancer proteomics and molecular genetics in developing individualized HLA matched cancer peptide strategies through a subcontract with NeoBioLabs, Cambridge Ma

    * this is actually funny. What is a private movement? Harvard cancer scientists – OK, scientists don’t talk in this manner – a great scientist could be from any university or lab – it is their peer reviewed papers that make their knowledge valuable, not which institution they are from. That he is desperate to drop the Harvard name shows his need to be recognized without actually having any proven qualifications.

    If he has written so many articles, where are his peer reviewed papers from a respected medical journal? Which scientists is he “in a private movement” with? What, did he have a conversation with one of them at one of the associations he signed up for?

  4. Oops, that should read: fluff up his credentials to impress those who wouldn’t see right through it.

  5. Maybe Driscoll’s next book can be called “Gospel Centered Fraud” Deebs for those who don’t have the medical background can you tell us more about DCFI? What cancer is researched there? Any Nobel winners? How does it rank compared to Duke, Stanford, or UCLA? What role does DCFI play in oncology? What is the history of cancer research at DCFI? Many people (myself included do not have your medical background)

  6. Thanks so much Dee and Deb to point all this out, I do think scientists, researchers and others need to make a stronger point about why they don’t consider naturopaths legitimate – they often just don’t respond and the type of self-promotion shown here confuses average people. They sound legitimate, qualified to be giving experimental injections, charging patients a fortune because they sound like they know what they are doing in the fight against cancer, but they are just bilking people out of their hard-earned money. I have YET to be given good scientific evidence of effectiveness for “treatments” naturopath’s give (I mean other than adjusting a patient’s diet, which would likely be beneficial for most of us) – from MLM scheme products, to random intensive heat or castor oil treatments, even their blood work orders and claims of Ph Balance are comical to my medical friends and family, but those of us who aren’t scientists just don’t know all this.

    I wish there was a site from the medical or government run site that listed all the untested and unproven treatments out there, and why testing is essential and just who is qualified to claim something is effective (hint, it is a team of scientists in every country who make decisions on what to accept as proven and safe (or, in the case of, say, chemo, safer than not using it), not just some random guy who thinks he is brilliant, but can’t link us to any credible paper he has published.

  7. As a woman who has worked in the medical field and have seen the fine line of “who” is hired as a professional doctor, it is a delicate balance to understand who is cut-out for the right job. Its in faith for sure.

    I know some medical professionals (nurses, doctors and such) who have non-health care related issues and troubles with the law like felony, child abuse history, drug possessions and other hidden crimes. Yes, even in the professional world issues like problems that exist.

    On the other hand, anyone who practices or encourages natural medicine will not be operating under pharmacological study and research journals, so they are playing with “wind” of knowledge rather than clear-cut tests and trials. I don’t think that anyone who uses herbs, over the counter meds, alternative therapy is wrong in doing so with their own body. However, to label one’s self as a professional and then guise in a bit of prescriptions for such gets a little twisted when it comes to proper regulations.

    You may be interested in reading about a different kind of religion called Medicine: http://www.unhinderedliving.com/newreligion.html [this is a non-Christian site to evaluate social structures and conformism]

    I hope the “evil minded” individual is staying away and not pursing the intents of the e-mail you received. Careful social protection from husband is wise in extreme dangers if he is available. I too have received such a letter from a stranger I never met and felt the criminal mind attempt to unleash wrath. I continue to write what I know despite such flawed human behavior. It may take time to heal from such threats.

  8. And Catanzaro’s credibility sinks lower with each revelation.

    If it Ducks like a Quack…

  9. @ Val:

    From what I understand and have seen, there is a book for nurses and professionals to check various herbal interactions with prescription drugs and reactions with each other. Herbs and certain alternative remedies are effective and very potent as much as pharmaceuticals. I remember reading such a book while sitting at a nurses desk while at work.

    The “professional” nurse and doctor operates today under the pharmaceutical industry to make a PROFIT. Yes, a profit. I can recall studying and identifying factors such as this in my Senior Paper for College. Herbs do not make much profit because they can be grown in the garden and grown in the wild. A person could study old history, pick up remedy recipe books and diagnose their own problem with out professional assistance if they choose to do so. However, if your child or elderly relative has an issue, you may not be-able to seek herbal or alternative remedy for them unless you are very wise and know exactly what you are doing, else you will have social workers at your door questioning such home-remedy with extreme illness.

    Some interesting links to consider: This is a link to the old remedies used by mothers when doctors used to carry around a black bag rather than operating in an institutional profit-geared setting. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17439

  10. Val wrote:

    What is a private movement?

    Val, a private movement is what you do in the bathroom. If you are having trouble achieving this regularly, there are many naturopathic treatments that can help you.

  11. @ Val:
    I am suspicious about a few more “accomplishments.” I did not have time to pursue a few other ones, including a couple on your list.

  12. If it weren’t for the gossip-y “discernment blogs,” who knows how much longer it would have taken DFCI to take this action. Well done, ladies and Dr. Throckmorton. Continuing to pray about the threat situation.

  13. Just wrapped up reading all the previous posts on this subject and all I can say is wow.

    I am feeling so terribly sorrowful for the patients and their families who placed their trust and money in this swindling “practitioner.”

    Been following a friend’s journey with a serious cancer for several years now; she has been undergoing (successfully for now, as it turns out) experimental treatment through physicians at two of the top cancer research hospitals in the U.S. The challenges of her being accepted into and subsequently being a patient in an experimental study of this nature have been overwhelming from a logistical, financial and medical standpoint.

    Knowing my friend’s experience somehow makes it even more heartbreaking to read of an ethically shady “practitioner” who takes it upon himself to utilize experimental therapies outside of the parameters of an actual, controlled study.

    I was also sad but not surprised to hear of the email threats made to Dee, Deb, and Dr. Throckmorton. Pathetic. Take care of yourselves ladies, and am glad you forwarded these threats to law enforcement.

    Be sensible and step up your situational awareness until this blows over, but I am confident that you are in good hands with your local law enforcement.

  14. Daisy wrote:

    I was looking up something about a famous Christian and found this:

    Here Are 5 Conservative Outlets That Promoted The Quack Doc [Dr. Russell Blaylock] Scott Brown Had To Disown

    Last 2 paragraphs of your linked article:
    I was looking up something about a famous Christian and found this:

    Herman Cain. Cain’s CainTV sent the “5 Signs You’ll Get Alzheimer’s Disease” to its list on November 1, 2012, along with a disclaimer stating it is from its “sponsor partner Newsmax.com – the sort of thing that helps us pay the bills here at CainTV. It carries no endorsement from us, but we appreciate your willingness to receive these messages.”

    CainTV also sent an email offer from Newsmax / Blaylock on October 19, 2013, with the subject line: “These 7 Things Activate Alzheimer’s in Your Brain.”

    These 7 things activate Alzheimer’s in your brain?

    Seems the good man (Herman Cain) never forgot to take his medication.

  15. gus wrote:

    These 7 things activate Alzheimer’s in your brain?

    Seems the good man (Herman Cain) never forgot to take his medication.

    That second-level quote was actually my comment – I keep forgetting to add the slash after copying the blockquote-tag to close the tag.

  16. We’re all against fraudulent practioners until your spouse’s M.D. says “there’s nothing more I can do.”
    *
    Then we’re willing to seek out options we would have rejected until desperation set in.

  17. Seneca “j” Griggs wrote:

    We’re all against fraudulent practioners until your spouse’s M.D. says “there’s nothing more I can do.”
    *
    Then we’re willing to seek out options we would have rejected until desperation set in.

    Then we seek out second opinions from other non-fraudulent practitioners (aka not lying naturopaths). Right?

  18. It’s somewhat off topic, but since we’re talking about naturopaths, I wanted to share this chart that catalogs studies of the effectiveness of various natural (or “natural”) supplements. When a friend starts trying to convince you of the virtue of badger’s eyelash and rhinoceros horn for herpagonosyphilaids, you can quickly check to see if the proposed remedy has been shown to be effective.

    http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/snake-oil-supplements/

  19. Seneca “j” Griggs wrote:

    Then we’re willing to seek out options we would have rejected until desperation set in.

    It is exactly this desperation that underscores the need for providers of both traditional and alternative therapies to be way above board. I do not doubt that there are alternative options for cancer patients that hold promise or have positive outcomes.

    Those who would exaggerate their credentials and/or associations with other institutions, as alleged in this case, are at a minimum stoking false hopes and preying on that desperation in a most insidious manner. I can’t even begin to understand the issue of unauthorized use of clinical trial treatments (again, as alleged in this case).

    Bottom line, it’s heartbreaking.

    🙁

  20. Josh wrote:

    Seneca “j” Griggs wrote:
    We’re all against fraudulent practioners until your spouse’s M.D. says “there’s nothing more I can do.”
    *
    Then we’re willing to seek out options we would have rejected until desperation set in.
    Then we seek out second opinions from other non-fraudulent practitioners (aka not lying naturopaths). Right?

    Maybe your statement should be phrased “a” lying naturopath? I’m not convinced that they all lie. I don’t believe that the article was drawing that conclusion either. It would be advised that we all check out any claim made by any type of medical practitioner on their website or on a pastor’s website that is promoting them.

  21. AmyT wrote:

    If it weren’t for the gossip-y “discernment blogs,” who knows how much longer it would have taken DFCI to take this action.

    The proper term is “bitter and gossip-y”.

  22. Seneca “j” Griggs wrote:

    We’re all against fraudulent practioners until your spouse’s M.D. says “there’s nothing more I can do.”
    *
    Then we’re willing to seek out options we would have rejected until desperation set in.

    Having been in just that position, I did not seek out fraudulent practitioners. What I did was look at mouse model studies for anything that was effective in slowing down disease progression in the mice which could be safely used with my husband. There were nutritional supplements, foods, exercise. In addition, there was a drug for high blood pressure that worked with the mice. Since he had high blood pressure, he asked his doctor if he could switch medications and the doctor made the change.

  23. @ Yeup-L:
    Actually Yeup-L I am Canadian and our nurses and doctors are not allowed to perscribe medication not already approved by the Health Care department (we call them Ministries, but, nothing to do with religion) – since the Ministry of Health Care is trying to save taxpayer’s money, it is the exact opposite in Canada, many good medications take far longer to get approval by the system. I had to wait 2 – 3 years for a very effective medication to be approved for my specific condition. Despite having an excellent medical coverage through my work. My province had blocked that drug from being prescribed until more tests were completed. So, all this “doctors and nurses are only in it for the money” falls flat in western countries where health care is state subsidized. Think about that for a while, yet, when a drug is proven effective, they do decide to open it up for public use. But doctors can’t make a quick profit in these environments and nurses aren’t allowed to write prescriptions without extensive training (nurse practitioners), and would be under the same rules as doctors.

  24. Pingback: Dana Farber Cancer Institute Issues Warning To John Catanzaro

  25. Seneca “j” Griggs wrote:

    We’re all against fraudulent practioners until your spouse’s M.D. says “there’s nothing more I can do.”

    I kind of see your point (not saying I totally agree, but I see it), but I don’t have a spouse. Never have.

  26. @ Josh:

    Oooh, according to the chart you linked to, now I have a great excuse to eat lots of dark chocolate. 🙂

    I sometimes put garlic powder in stuff I eat, and that chart puts it about mid-way through as being helpful, says it’s good for blood pressure.

    It’s also good for keeping vampires away. Since I’ve been using it, I’ve not had a single encounter with Ed Cullen. 😆 But seriously, I do sometimes use garlic powder in recipes.

  27. Rafiki wrote:

    Those who would exaggerate their credentials and/or associations with other institutions, as alleged in this case, are at a minimum stoking false hopes and preying on that desperation in a most insidious manner.

    IMO, it’s rather like the Health and Wealth Prosperity Pimps on Christian TV. I have sat through their programs before, and it’s disgusting how they take advantage of people’s fears.

    I saw one with one show on a Christian network with a certain Prosperity Pimp where he had this theme going on his show for a few days, I think it was “fear.” He ran down some scenarios people might be facing, like dying from cancer, or being unable to pay rent, having panic attacks, or whatever.

    He said if you would just send his ministry $X dollar amount, God would pay your rent, heal you of cancer, or whatever you were dealing with. He was preying on desperate people who may have been watching his show.

    If it takes me “sowing a seed” of $X dollars to be healed by God, I should be able to “sow it” anywhere, whether with a different preacher than him, or to some Christian charity of my choosing.

    But you will notice that 99% of the time the Prosperity Pimps never say, “Instead of sowing the seed with me specifically, Pastor Jones, feel free to send your “seed” to Billy Graham or Salvation Army (or some other person/charity).”

  28. Rafiki wrote:

    Those who would exaggerate their credentials and/or associations with other institutions, as alleged in this case, are at a minimum stoking false hopes and preying on that desperation in a most insidious manner.

    The basic problem is that this is an area where amoral people with a great smile can set up shop and extract a lot of money from desperate people in a short time before closing up shop and moving to a new location.

    And wearing a “cloak of Christian methods” just makes it easier to extract money from desperate people. Who, if you think about it should NOT be all that desperate.

  29. NC Now wrote:

    And wearing a “cloak of Christian methods” just makes it easier to extract money from desperate people. Who, if you think about it should NOT be all that
    desperate.

    Death is the final stroke against goodness and life. Whether Christian or not, it is a dreadful experience.

    When you eventually stare at the end of your life, nose to nose, you will feel frightened. Likely your brain will have a difficult time functioning rationally, and you will take whatever possibility is on offer to put death off.

    When it happens to you, I hope you will have good people around you, who can think for you and help you make solid decisions.

  30. @ Daisy:

    Both my spouse and I have bad reactions to garlic powder (and onion powder) but we use a lot of garlic, usually crushed, but sometimes diced (and a ton of diced onion). Why go artificial when you can go natural, especially when cooking with herbs.

  31. Seneca “j” Griggs wrote:

    We’re all against fraudulent practioners until your spouse’s M.D. says “there’s nothing more I can do.”
    *
    Then we’re willing to seek out options we would have rejected until desperation set in.

    Yeah, that’s when hucksters like Catanzaro can take advantage of the desperate. Did you read the charging document put together by the *naturopath* board? These are Catanzaro’s fellow practitioners. Catanzaro was way, way, WAY out of line here.

  32. Josh wrote:

    When a friend starts trying to convince you of the virtue of badger’s eyelash and rhinoceros horn for herpagonosyphilaids, you can quickly check to see if the proposed remedy has been shown to be effective.

    http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/snake-oil-supplements/

    Heh, I can attest to the efficacy of ginger in calming an upset stomach. I switched diabetes medications several years ago and spent two months throwing up every morning. Ginger helped calm that down. (Ultimately, I changed medications.) More recently, I’ve had gastritis and ginger’s very helpful in helping keep that under control (also watching portion size, not eating too close to bedtime, and taking a prescription medication are part of the treatment).

  33. An Attorney wrote:

    @ Daisy:
    Both my spouse and I have bad reactions to garlic powder (and onion powder) but we use a lot of garlic, usually crushed, but sometimes diced (and a ton of diced onion). Why go artificial when you can go natural, especially when cooking with herbs.

    /
    Ahem. Garlic is NOT an herb. It’s a food group.

  34. Bridget wrote:
    Maybe your statement should be phrased “a” lying naturopath? I’m not convinced that they all lie. I don’t believe that the article was drawing that conclusion either. It would be advised that we all check out any claim made by any type of medical practitioner on their website or on a pastor’s website that is promoting them.

    While I am aware of at least a few naturopaths who promote what I like to call “woo,” I didn’t intend to implicate them all in lying.

  35. I know an excellent Christian naturopath here. A lady in our church was severely ill and none of the specialists she went to were able to help. Then she found this lady who has been practicing naturopathy for several years, and received a correct diagnosis of lead poisoning. She’s fine, now. I think there are many honest, competent docs out there on both sides. Didn’t know this until a few years ago, but Louis Pasteur recanted his germ theory in later life, and tried to get the medical community, which had all rallied around his original theory, to change their minds, but to no avail.

  36. @ Josh:
    Ooooh, thanks Josh – I especially like the fact Dark Chocolate has good evidence it is good for us (for blood pressure). We should all take some before reading about various people Dee and Deb wish to point out to us. I told my pastor the other day Mark Driscoll was bad for my blood pressure (he couldn’t stop laughing), now I know the cure 😉

  37. @ dee:
    Oh Dee, I didn’t meant to try and overstate your post, I was just comparing how Catanzaro’s post read to me vs. my geneticist husband:
    Me: lots and lots of credentials,
    My husband: fluff, floof, fluff, filler, blah, blah, nothing to see here.

    I just wish the average (or, maybe, desperate because my spouse has cancer) person could see what he sees when reading someone’s “credentials”.

  38. @ Val:
    I know that. I was just commenting further on the story. It was meant to be part of a conversation that you and I might have while waiting to try on shoes. 🙂

  39. @ Yeup-L:

    This sounds so much like my grandmothers’ old Sixties-vintage Prevention magazines. You know, the ones with Nutrition & Vitamins would cure everything mixed with Grand Unified Conspiracy Theories about the Medical Establishment?