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After deadly cancer therapies complete naturopaths profession in the criticism
Three cancer patients have died after an alternative medical treatment. The patients had been treated with the preparation "3-bromopyruvate". The use of the product is not inadmissible, but controversial. It is still unclear whether the death of cancer patients was caused by the drug. The non-medical practitioner association calls on its members not to seek legal loopholes, but always to work legally.
Three patients died after questionable treatment
At the end of July, after questionable treatment, three patients had died in an alternative cancer center in the Lower Rhine village of Brüggen-Bracht. Although there is no evidence that the alternative practitioner working in the facility intentionally caused the deaths of the patients, the prosecution is now investigating the practice owner for negligent homicide. The investigators are apparently focused on the treatment agent "3-Bromopyruvat".
Three patients died after questionable treatment in an alternative cancer center. The investigating public prosecutor's office has now mainly the administered agent "3-Bromopyruvat" in the sights. (Image: Sonja Birkelbach / fotolia.com) Administering the controversial drug not inadmissible
As reported by the "Westdeutscher Rundfunk" (WDR), the public prosecutor's office Krefeld stated at a press conference that administering the preparation "3-bromopyruvate" (3-BP) by the alternative practitioner was not inadmissible. In addition, there was so far no demonstrable connection between the deaths after the treatment in the practice of the alternative practitioner in Brüggen-Bracht (district Viersen) and the drug administered during the therapy. The Krefeld senior prosecutor Axel Stahl stated that it was not clear whether the death after cancer treatment was due to the drug.
Investigations after the death of a Dutchwoman
There are five cases in the investigation; three times for the charge of negligent homicide and twice for negligent assault. Currently, two patients are being treated for life-threatening medical conditions. The investigation was triggered by the death of a 43-year-old woman from the Netherlands. She died at a hospital in Mönchengladbach on July 30, after being treated at the facility on July 25. Before she died she had complained of a headache, was at times confused and finally unresponsive.
Maybe something was wrong with the drug
According to WDR, the investigators are mainly the administered drug in the sights: "There is the thesis that something was wrong with the drug," said Attorney Axel steel. The batch of the substance may have been contaminated or improperly dosed. "3-Bromopyruvate is an experimental drug used worldwide in tumor therapy," Stahl said.
According to the information, the accused Heilpraktiker "essentially flatly denied that something had gone wrong". The sources of supply of said preparation led to other European countries. According to Stahl, relationships that the alternative practitioner had with a German pharmacy were also part of the investigation. In practice in Brüggen-Bracht in the German-Dutch border area, mainly people from the Benelux countries were treated.
Cancer Center regrets death of the patient
Since the case became known, alternative therapy was discussed. The cancer center itself published a statement after the first death was reported, regretting the death of the patient, but also the fact that "alternative medicine, and especially our clinic, could be held responsible for the demise of one of our patients.".
Information about alternative healing methods
Health experts point out that biological cancer therapy is by no means a therapy that may be seen as an "alternative". Any additional therapy must be done in consultation with the treating physicians. Information on alternative methods of treatment for cancer can be found, among others, on the online platform of the Competence Network Complementary Medicine in Oncology (KOKON). The project is funded by the German Cancer Aid.
The experts write on the website: "The active ingredients and treatment methods used in complementary medicine cover a very wide range: they range from dietary supplements and vitamins, dietary recommendations, phytotherapeutics and organ extracts, medical devices and pharmaceuticals, technical and biotechnological processes , to psychological, spiritual methods and complex treatment procedures of foreign cultures. Many of these methods are already well-known, but others are not. "
Restrictions on treatments by naturopaths
In connection with the deaths, there were now calls for restrictions on treatment by alternative practitioners. The President of the North Rhine-Westphalia Medical Association, Rudolf Henke, told the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" (FAZ) that he considers it "not justifiable for non-medical practitioners to take on the treatment of cancer patients". In his opinion, one must "completely rethink the regulations of the naturopathic system".
Naturopathic Association calls for lawful action
The incidents in Brüggen-Bracht, which allegedly led to the death of patients, were "not only tragic, but for the relatives a great suffering, which can not be repaired", according to the Federal German non-medical practitioner e.V. If the allegations against the practitioner prove to be fully correct, it would be "a deliberate misconduct that harms the entire profession." However, it would "be an isolated case, since non-medical practitioners in their entirety work as responsibly as other professions in the Health care system, maybe even a little bit more careful ". This is demonstrated by "extremely low rates of loss in professional liability insurance", which is well below the rate for other occupations. The association demands lawful behavior of all naturopaths.
NRW Health Minister Barbara Steffens (Greens) had also called for stricter rules for non-medical practitioners after the incidents in Brüggen. The politician criticized that anyone without any training could register for the exam. The law of 1939 had to be reformed. (Ad)