The Vultures are Circling

The death of Steve Jobs as the result of pancreatic cancer is being taken by some members of the “alternative health” industry as an opportunity to advertise their wares, as well as to criticize the efficacy of conventional treatments of cancer. Mike Adams, a well known promoter of “alternative medicine” has written an article entitled Steve Jobs dead at 56, his life ended prematurely by chemotherapy and radiotherapy for cancer.

At A tragic decision may have cost Steve Jobs his life, Dr Joseph Mercola engages in a tedious and (in my opinion) simpering discussion with Dr Nicolas Gonzalez, a “specialist” in “natural” treatment of pancreatic cancer through the use of supplements, changes in diet and enemas about how such therapies might have prolonged Mr Job’s life (although for the life of me I can’t work out how shooting liquids up ones bottom is natural!).

It is sad to see pushers of alternative medicine using the death of a celebrity to push their own treatments and cast aspersions on conventional medicine.

Sadly, what is even more educational is the comment sections on each of these sites. Here you will see (if you dare) suggestions that it was the EM radiation from Apple devices like iPhones and iPads which cause such cancers, as well as unrestrained ravings against conventional medicine. Furthermore, there seem to be few comments questioning these blogs so one has to wonder if some sort of censorship is involved.

To be fair one or two mainstream sites have made opposing suggestions that Mr Job’s delay in using conventional medicine if favour of trying alternative treatments for several months, however most science sites have suggested that such a delay would not have had a significant effect on this type of pancreatic cancer.