OPEN LETTER TO THE NEW BRUNSWICK MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
18. Juli 2013 um 09:30
OPEN LETTER TO THE NEW BRUNSWICK MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
Wolfville, NS
July 17, 2013
Dr. Robert Desjardins, President
New Brunswick Medical Association
21 boul. Alison Blvd Fredericton, NB, E3C 2N5
nbms@nb.aibn.com
SUBJECT: Recent request to the government to stop funding for CCSVI treatment abroad
Dr. Desjardins,
I read the publication available on the website of the New Brunswick Medical Society “Don’t spend more health dollars on “Liberation Therapy”: New Brunswick’s doctors” (
http://www.nbms.nb.ca/news-2/news/don-t-spend-more-health-dollars-on-liberation-therapy-new-brunswick-s-doctors/).
Having taken a position as drastic as this, I can only assume that before requesting that funding be stopped immediately the following points/actions were taken into consideration.
First, were all of the people who have received funding polled on the success of their treatment? To ensure that government funds are properly spent, I would trust that you have taken the time to contact all of those who were recipients of the financial aid available to see if their treatments were successful, even in the short term. Some of the people who received treatment had no other access to currently accepted MS therapies, especially those with the most aggressive/progressive forms of the disease for which there are currently no treatments available.
Second, you state, and I quote: “It’s time to move on and use those health dollars to help MS patients through proven means.” I would personally like to know to which treatments you are referring? As you well know, MS is a disease of unknown aetiology, thought by some to be autoimmune. After three decades of immune-modulating therapies, numerous studies are being published and the outcomes of those studies are damning to the drugs that have been prescribed. Not only that, but governments have invested billions of dollars of tax payers money hoping to alleviate progression of this disease. Sadly this has not happened. Furthermore, the meagre $75,000 (seventy-five thousand dollars) in funding covers the cost of less than 3 (three) MS patients using the current MS medications of questionable efficacy.
Third, the MS Society, Atlantic Division, is supporting legislation to have the government cover the expenses for these medications. Obviously, NB must be a very wealthy province to cover the exorbitant costs of medications some of which have already been proven ineffective in preventing progression.
Fourth, the recent study published by the University of Buffalo, has been instrumental in influencing health-care policy. If this study were the last to be done, one would close the door on CCSVI treatment. However, even one of the lead researchers, Dr. Adan Siddiqui, stated very clearly in the press release, “This is not the last word on this endovascular treatment for MS,” Siddiqui concluded. “This is the first word because this was the first double-blinded, randomized sham-controlled trial on the subject.” Certain influential neurologists seem to have taken this study as “This is the end of CCSVI treatment” whereas, it’s really only the beginning.
http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2013/03/021.html Even Dr. David Hubbard, Neurologist and Member of the Academy of Neurology from California, called into question the results of this study. I would invite you to consult his rebuttal of these findings.
http://www.hubbardfoundation.org/CCSVI_key_scientific_papers.html As the first trial of venoplasty in MS that was randomized and double-blinded including sham treatment, it is important to analyze whether the method and analysis justify the conclusions. Several questions arise that hopefully will be clarified when Dr. Siddiqui submits the study for journal publication:
1) How was the sham procedure done? Presumably a catheter was inserted, but how far was it advanced, through the internal jugular valves, into the azygos vein? How long was it left in place?
3) A venous hemodynamic insufficiency severity score was calculated to determine flow change over time and between groups. How was this calculated? A table presenting this data would be helpful. A statistically significant (p
4) There were no statistically significant differences between the treatment and sham groups in MS relapses (p=0.389) and MRI lesion counts (p=0.81,0.5 and 0.079, Fig. 2). These results do not justify the conclusion the venoplasty “may increase MS disease activity in the short term.” No data is presented to support the conclusion that “more sizable change in venous outflow was associated with increased disease activity primarily noted on MRI.”
5) The poster concluded that venoplasty “failed to provide any sustained improvement in venous outflow as measured through duplex and/or clinical and MRI outcomes.” Since the study’s objective hypothesized that correction of venous flow would improve MS, why would MS improvements be expected if venous flow was not?
Fifth, it is simply not true that all of the studies published on CCSVI are negative. A very large percentage of them are positive. Unfortunately, much of the information that you are being told comes from dubious sources who seem to selectively pick the studies that are used to influence media and professional associations. For a complete bank of all studies, both positive and negative, I would like to refer you to the databank of studies maintained by the CCSVI Alliance in the U.S.
http://www.ccsvi.org/index.php/component/search/index.php?option=com_search&task=search.
Sixth, if this treatment were so obviously dangerous, why would Canadian physicians with MS be seeking it? To date, more than 20 Canadian physicians have undergone CCSVI treatment. Two of those who have been outspoken in the media are Drs William Code, MD and anesthesiologist, and Dr. Ron Unger, both of British Columbia.
As president of a large medical association, it is my belief that you owe it to the people of New Brunswick to conduct a full investigation of all of the facts before funding is withdrawn for a treatment that has benefited thousands of Canadians to this point.
Respectfully submitted,
Christopher Alkenbrack
Former President of the Annapolis Valley MS Chapter
MS patient of more than 20 years
Retired School Principal on LTD
Treated for CCSVI in Poland on May 18, 2010
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