When Healing Becomes a Crime: The Amazing Story of the Hoxsey Cancer Clinics and the Return of Alternative Therapies [Paperback]

Kenny Ausubel (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 1, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0892819251 | ISBN-13: 978-0892819256 | Edition: Original

A powerful and substantiated expose of the medical politics that prevents promising alternative cancer therapies from being implemented in the United States.

• Focuses on Harry Hoxsey, the subject of the author's award-winning documentary, who claimed to cure cancer using herbal remedies.

• Presents scientific evidence supporting Hoxsey's cancer-fighting claims.

• Published to coincide with the anticipated 2000 public release of the government-sponsored report finding "noteworthy cases of survival" among Hoxsey 

patients. 

Harry Hoxsey claimed to cure cancer using herbal remedies, and thousands of patients swore that he healed them. His Texas clinic became the world's largest privately owned cancer center with branches in seventeen states, and the value of its therapeutic treatments was upheld by two federal courts.  Even his arch-nemesis, the AMA, admitted his treatment was effective against some forms of cancer.  But the medical establishment refused an investigation, branding Hoxsey the worst cancer quack of the century and forcing his clinic to Tijuana, Mexico, where it continues to claim very high success rates.  Modern laboratory tests have confirmed the anticancer properties of Hoxsey's herbs, and a federal govenment-sponsored report is now calling for a major reconsideration of the Hoxsey therapy.

When Healing Becomes a Crime exposes the overall failure of the War on Cancer, while revealing how yesterday's "unorthodox" treatments are emerging as tomorrow's medicine. It probes other promising unconventional cancer treatments that have also been condemned without investigation, delving deeply into the corrosive medical politics and powerful economic forces behind this suppression. As alternative medicine finally regains its rightful place in mainstream practice, this compelling book will not only forever change the way you see medicine, but could also save your life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It will help readers become wiser patients, and could even save their lives. A magnificent contribution. -- Larry Dossey, M.D., author of Healing Words and Prayer is Good Medicine

"Physicians, patients, medical students and governmental officials could all benefit from reading this book. -- Andrew Weil, author of Spontaneous Healing

An expose of medical policies which have limited and affected promising alternative cancer therapies in this country. -- James A. Cox, The Midwest Book Reveiw

An important book . . . in demonstrating the methods . . . through which modern medicine achieved its present status. -- New Jersey Naturally, Summer/Fall 2000

Ausubel's book is essential for anyone interested in the history of medicine or the history of herbalism. -- Stephen Buhner, HerbalGram, 2000

Ausubel's book is particularly timely in view of the recent tokenistic attempts by the cancer establishment to appear open-minded to alternative therapies. -- Samuel Epstein, M.D., author of The Politics of Cancer and the Safe Shopper's Bible

Hoxsey's fate--shared by other maverick therapists--has dramatic relevance today as alternative cancer treatment gains mainstream acceptance. -- Jim Motavalli, E Magazine, July/August 2002

Investigative journalist Ausubel presents powerful and convincing testimony. -- Napra ReView, Sept/Oct 2000

Kenny Ausubel takes this subject very seriously, while maintaining a very reader-friendly style. -- Russ Reina, Talking Leaves, Winter 2001

This book is riveting. . . . The amount of scholarship that went into writing it is admirable. -- Dana Ullman, Whole Earth, Fall 2000

From the Back Cover

ALTERNATIVE HEALTH / CANCER

“Freedom comes in many varieties--religious, political, and, as this book stunningly reveals, medical. The bitter power struggle for dominance within medicine has always been one of its dirty little secrets. For anyone who believes modern therapy is only about facts, evidence, and data, this book will come as a shock. It will help readers become wiser patients, and could even save their lives. A magnificent contribution.”
--Larry Dossey, M.D., author of Healing Words and Prayer is Good Medicine

“With this book, Kenny Ausubel establishes himself as one of the truly great writers on contemporary America. Lucid, hard-hitting, well researched, comprehensive, this book will no doubt raise more than a few eyebrows in the medical and cancer establishment--and hopefully raise the consciousness of all Americans regarding the possibilities that some natural treatments might contribute to the war against cancer.”
--Mark Blumenthal, founder and executive director of the American Botanical Council

“The story of Harry Hoxsey and his fight with the medical establishment over unorthodox cancer treatment is both a fascinating medical drama and an important historical episode in the development of alternative medicine in the twentieth century. Physicians, patients, medical students, and government officials could all benefit from reading this book.”
--Andrew Weil, author of Spontaneous Healing

Harry Hoxsey claimed to cure cancer using herbal remedies, and thousands of patients swore that he healed them. His Texas clinic became the world’s largest privately owned cancer center with branches in seventeen states, and the value of its therapeutic treatments was upheld by two federal courts. Even his arch-nemesis, the AMA, admitted his treatment was effective against some forms of cancer. But the medical establishment refused an investigation, branding Hoxsey the worst cancer quack of the century and forcing his clinic to Tijuana, Mexico, where it continues to claim very high success rates. Modern laboratory tests have confirmed the anticancer properties of Hoxsey’s herbs, and a federal government–sponsored report is now calling for a major reconsideration of the Hoxsey therapy.

When Healing Becomes a Crime exposes the overall failure of the War on Cancer, while revealing how yesterday’s “unorthodox” treatments are emerging as tomorrow’s medicine. It probes other promising unconventional cancer treatments that have also been condemned without investigation, delving deeply into the corrosive medical politics and powerful economic forces behind this suppression. As alternative medicine finally regains its rightful place in mainstream practice, this compelling book will not only forever change the way you see medicine, but could also save your life.

KENNY AUSUBEL is an award-winning author, investigative journalist, and filmmaker. His critically acclaimed documentary film on Hoxsey won the prestigious “Best Censored Stories” journalism award, associated with Bill Moyers. He is the author of Seeds of Change and Restoring the Earth, as well as the founder of the Bioneers Conference and Seeds of Change, Inc. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Healing Arts Press; Original edition (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892819251
• ISBN-13: 978-0892819256
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1.3 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #435,618 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > Medical Books > Nursing > Oncology

More About the Author

Kenny Ausubel, founder and co-executive director of CHI, is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker and social entrepreneur. He co-founded Seeds of Change, a biodiversity organic seed company, and wrote the book Seeds of Change: The Living Treasure. He is the author of the books The Bioneers: Declarations of Interdependence (Chelsea Green Publishing), profiling the Bioneers culture, and When Healing Becomes a Crime: The Amazing Story of Hoxsey Cancer Clinics and the Return of Alternative Therapies. Mr. Ausubel's feature non-fiction film, Hoxsey: How Healing Becomes a Crime, was chosen for the "Best Censored Stories" journalism award in 1990. He founded and operates Inner Tan Productions, a feature film development company to produce visionary feature films. Most recently, he edited the first two titles in the Bioneers book series with J.P Harpignies: Ecological Medicine: Healing the Earth, Healing Ourselves, and Nature's Operating Instructions: The True Biotechnologies. He wrote the foreword to Diane Wilson's book An Unreasonable Woman: A True Story of Shrimpers, Politicos, Polluters and the Fight for Seadrift, Texas.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 67 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Why Medical Doctors should practice Evidence Based Medicine June 26, 2001

By Patrick Merlevede

Format:Paperback

Warning, when you read this book you might be scared away from “conventional medicine”! If you are suffering of cancer or have a relative that is terminally ill and has been given up by doctors, I recommend this book as a “second opinion”.

This book tells the story of how an alternative treatment was sabotaged by the medical community and by organizations that are supposed to protect our health (such as the Food and Drug Administration). As a European, I have been quite skeptical about this agency for some time, and this book doesn’t help at all! The picture this book gives you is that the main reason a drug gets accepted or not might be linked to serious lobbying inside the conventional medical community and to the financial gains that are linked to it. This isn’t hard to believe if you see how the tobacco lobby succeeded for years to cover up the problems smoking causes.

Yet, there is hope as far "conventional medicine" is concerned. Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) teaches doctors that they should stay current with recent research on drugs and learn how to interpret studies before administering drugs to their patients. I studied this subject in preparation of my Ph.D. I believe that EBM practices do drastically enhance our chances as patients to get the right treatment, especially if you read that 50% of doctors risk giving you a wrong or outdated treatment. No wonder many doctors admit that many patients get better DESPITE their doctor’s treatment.

The problem with EBM is that apparently some often used treatments such as many current forms of chemotherapy lack the statistical data to back them up, and that doctors seem to treat patients with those cures because they don’t have anything better. When I was doing my own research concerning whiplash, I was faced with a similar dilemma: conventional treatment in which patients have to wear a cervical collar may actually worsen the condition of patients. Yet 50% of MD’s still prescribe it today. On the other hand, if you would recommend a patient to throw away this collar, you might be pursued form “medical malpractice”.

On the other hand, I have known for years that the problem of many alternative cures (whether they are herbal remedies or psychological assistance) lies in the fact that they have not been proven scientifically. But, not being proven doesn't mean that the cure isn't valid, it only lets you know there is no way to tell. Therefore I keep trying to convince “alternative therapists” to do the necessary “homework” with regards to proving their protocols. The drama is that it doesn’t pay to do the scientific research for those cures, whereas there are billions to be gained from doing research for registered drugs.

Given that the death rate of cancer today isn't much better than in the 1950s, it's no wonder that today over 60% of cancer patients supplement their conventional treatment with one or more forms of alternative treatment. Reading this book should at least help you to be a bit more skeptical to what your doctor is telling you, and to be more willing to inquire for yourself what therapy will help to cure you.

Related books: “The Cancer industry” and “Questioning Chemotherapy” by Ralph Moss...

70 of 74 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "The 'Silent Spring' of Alternative Cancer Therapies" July 17, 2000

By Dana Ullman, MPH

Format:Paperback

WHEN HEALING BECOMES A CRIME, Kenny Ausubel, Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press, 2000, 461pp., $19.95

Despite being involved in alternative medicine (specifically homeopathic medicine) since 1972, I have always had strong skepticism of alternative therapies for cancer. I questioned their true effectiveness, and even more, I questioned the ethics of their advocates. After reading Kenny Ausubel's newest book, I realize now how effective the propaganda against alternative cancer therapies have been on me, despite my own predilections towards alternative medicine and my strong skepticism of conventional approaches. I was truly blown away by WHEN HEALING BECOMES A CRIME. What the SILENT SPRING did for the environmental movement, his book does for the alternative cancer movement (perhaps this book should have been called or sub-titled THE SUPPRESSED SPRING, since the AMA, the FDA, and the drug companies have been so effective in suppressing any positive information about these therapies and have been extraordinarily effective in providing misinformation about them). The general public is interested in alternative medicine, not only in recent times, but Ausubel references a Chicago Medical Society survey that discovered that 85% of Americans used "drugless healers" in the early 1940s. The misinformation and demonization of alternative medicine by the AMA and the FDA is quite remarkable and sad (no, St. Johns wort won't cure this depression!). This McCarthyization of alternative healers predated McCarthy and didn't simply destroy people's lives as McCarthy did, but also led to earlier death of hundreds of thousands of people by foisting upon them as the only appropriate treatment for cancer, the notoriously ineffective and dangerous primitive radiation and chemotherapy of the day. This book details the experience of Harry Hoxsey and his herbal formulas for people with cancer. Despite getting arrested over a hundred times in one two-year period and hundreds of more times before and after this, Harry Hoxsey's leading nemesis, AMA leader Morris Fishbein, acknowledged under oath that Hoxsey's therapy was indeed effective in treating certain types of cancer, though this statement never changed his heavy-handed efforts to make access to Hoxsey's treatment difficult or impossible. Hoxsey's clinic has been forced out of the US and into Mexico since the early 1960s, but it still provides care for people, even though, remarkably enough, it STILL is not allowed back in the US. The book also provides a fascinating history of the AMA's rise to respect in the 20th century, in large part to its leader, Morris Fishbein, MD, who never practiced a day of medicine himself and who flunked anatomy in medical school. His efforts to get drug and tobacco companies to advertise in AMA journals made the AMA rich and ultimately powerful, and it led the AMA to attack any others who questioned conventional medical treatment or who offered viable alternatives. This book is riveting but can and will lead to fits of anger at orthodoxy's impressively effective PR efforts to make successful spokespersons for alternative medicine into quacks and criminals. This book is also extremely well referenced, both to historical records as well as modern scientific literature. The amount of scholarship that went into writing this book is admirable. Dana Ullman, M.P.H. Homeopathic Educational Services

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A challenge to the status quo October 15, 2000

By Ingrid Naiman, author of Cancer Salves: A Botanical Approach to Treatment

Format:Paperback

Kenny Ausubel spent 20 years of the prime of his life researching a story that everyone needs to know. Paragraph by paragraph, he reveals the motivations of those who would deprive suffering patients of history's most successful cancer treatment.

Personally, I have never been able to take Hoxsey the man seriously, but what erudition Hoxsey lacked, Dr. Frederic Mohs had in abundance -- and what is extraordinary is that their bloodroot paste formulae were essentially identical. Hoxsey was persecuted for his efforts to make his treatment available; the Mohs microsurgery method is now widely accepted and practiced in such illustrious institutions as Harvard Medical School.

Ergo, the pattern of suppression detailed in Ausubel's book is all the more important because it was not based on science but rather on the politics of medicine, something that demands questioning since fifty years later, the basic problem is not solved.

There is no question but that the public deserves access to anything that might alleviate suffering, prolong lives, or cure them of their illnesses. The Government is charged with protecting the public from fraud; but in its zeal to brand outsiders as quacks, it has lost focus on the humanitarian as well as clinical aspects of healing.

I therefore disagree vehemently with the review posted below by fraud investigator. Hoxsey made his money in oil and operated affordable facilities for people seeking a cure for cancer. Yes, he was lacking proper credentials, but knowledge and experience can be acquired in clinical settings where keenly observant people can by-pass indoctrination and determine whether or not patients are responding well to treatment. This point is important because in the greed for patents, the factors that determine patentability are seldom well aligned with the factors that determine efficacy and safety.

The Pacific Yew/taxol issue is a case in point. In its whole form, there are cytotoxic agents and those that protect the patient from harmful side effects. However, to patent a product, one must choose one or the other of the active principles of the herb. The end result is a product that poses significant risk factors to the patient.

In 1000 words or less, one cannot end the debate. My point is simply that the formal approval process is a patenting process, not a test of what is in the long-term best interests of the patient. If investors are to develop a drug that is unique enough to be patented and destructive enough to be approved, laboratories must ignore the whole in an effort to maximize the economic rewards of the part.

In my opinion, this system has gone too far. At this point, it serves industry rather than humanity. Kenny Ausubel has presented a detailed and insightful and extremely well documented case of persecution of a person and a method that constitutes a crime against the very patients who might benefit from a treatment that often succeeds where others fail. Read the book and make up your own mind.