From: Rafal Smigrodzki (rms2g@virginia.edu)
Date: Sat Feb 08 2003 - 09:44:26 MST
----- Original Message -----
From: "Anders Sandberg" <asa@nada.kth.se>
To: <extropians@extropy.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 08, 2003 6:50 AM
Subject: Re: PD
> On Sat, Feb 08, 2003 at 01:54:08AM -0800, Lee Corbin wrote:
> >
> > Well, don't you think that the individual patient, his or her family,
> > and their familial medical practitioners should have a say in the
> > matter? In some individual condition, it might be the best option
> > to adopt a treatment that has very little chance of success. So
> > who should decide?
> >
> > Why, ---wait--- don't tell me! I know! It must be left to
> > Professional Bodies hundreds or thousands of miles away who
> > are not familiar with the particular distress of a particular
> > condition, but whose wisdom so exceeds that of the individuals
> > directly involved, that the matter simply cannot be left in
> > the ignorant and incompetent hands of the locals! Right?
Anders wrote:
> I think you misunderstood Rafals point: stem cell treatments are risky
> and of unknown efficacy right now. That doesn't mean they aren't
> worthwhile to try for some people, but one shouldn't get one's hopes up
> too much right now. There are other treatments that have shown great
> promise such as brain pacemakers or even pallidotomy. Right now the
> demand for treatments outstrips the supply, simply because it is highly
> experimental, stem cells are hard to come by and the technique is
> tricky. Once it is proven and the wrinkles come out it will no doubt
> become far more common. Until then it is very much that patients are
> selected by researchers.
### Anders, this is exactly what I meant. I do oppose the current role of
the FDA, Lee, and I think all patients should have the unencumbered ability
to use any therapies the market can offer. The only role for the
Professional Bodies you mention should be assuring that the patients are
offered full, unbiased information about the therapy - whether they decide
to heed warnings or go with their hopes, should be up to them. In the case
of cell implants for PD, so far the risks seem to outweigh the benefits -
but then, of course, some adventurers might think otherwise, and put their
own basal ganglia on the line.
Rafal
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