We lost someone else to breast cancer yesterday.

[trotsky]

Not quite as famous, but someone with a story that needs to be told.

Kim Tinkham appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show three years ago and told the story of how she had been inspired by the New Age book The Secret to forgo conventional, evidence-based treatments for her breast cancer. (The Secret, as you may recall, was the "advice" book that told us we create our own reality by envisioning it, and we bring all our problems upon ourselves by simply not "wishing" hard enough or by dwelling on the negative.) Kim was quickly exploited by well-known quack Robert O. Young who sold her on the completely bogus "cancer is caused by excess acidity" nonsense. Kim embraced Young's advice and followed his specific diet instructions.

3 years later, she is dead.

I mourn the loss of all cancer victims, but among those I do not personally know, I feel the worst for people like Kim who were sold a bill of goods, exploited by a dangerous medical quack, and while still alive, used to swindle other victims. However now that Kim has passed, Young has pulled his videos with her from the Internet and disavowed any responsibility for the failure of HIS promised cancer cure to work. No surprise there.

RIP, Kim Tinkham. I am sorry that the New Agers and quacks and their enablers like Oprah Winfrey kept you from treatment that actually HAS been proven to save lives. No, not all of them, as witnessed by the loss of Elizabeth Edwards on the same day. But survival rates do not lie. Tumors such as Edwards' actually have a roughly 80% 10-year survival rate. She just happened to be in that 20%, sadly. But quacks like Young promise *cures*. They have no excuse.

More info from Orac here and here.

[xchrom]

1. no good to come of that. very sad. nt

[trotsky]

6. If telling Kim's story can prevent just ONE person from abandoning real medicine...

and going with quack woo treatments, some good could come of it.

I really hope this is the case. It would be wonderful if Oprah devoted a show to Kim and her decision, but I'm pretty sure we won't ever see THAT happening.

[closeupready]

2. What stage was her cancer when she appeard on Oprah?

n/t

[trotsky]

5. Check the links.

Orac, a doctor and science blogger, has much more detailed medical information.

[closeupready]

7. Stage 3, three years ago.

Not good.

[trotsky]

9. Part of Young's cancer "theory"...

is that the tumor is only a symptom, and cannot do harm on its own. Thus when tumors of course do not shrink during his "treatment," he lies and says it doesn't matter because when following his diet the tumor cannot hurt you.

A sad, sad story.

[closeupready]

10. Very sad. Cancer sucks.

:( I do wish some of these cures that work in rats and lab animals would work in people. Someday!

[closeupready]

8. And if it was Stage 3c, her 5-year prognosis would have been 35%.

n/t

[LynneSin]

3. I've read that book and there is some value to it

Improving my life overall and trying to make positive changes that book has some good points.

Curing life threatening diseases - I'll see a doctor instead.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Safe passage to her...

What a waste of a life!

I hope that the word will get out so that others won't be taken in by this huckster...

Recommended.

[HuckleB]

11. K & R!!!

[HuckleB]

12. Another despicable abuse of a dead celebrity

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2010/12/another_despicable_abuse_of_a_dead_celeb.php

:argh: :grr: