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All Thumbs Book Reviews





            The Great Prostate Hoax                   and you have billions of reasons why they do it.
            By Richard J. Ablin, PhD                     I said earlier that the PSA test is worthless.
            and Ronald Piana                          I should clarify that it depends on your point
            St. Martin’s Press LLC                    of view. For the medical industry, the test is
                                                      not worthless. It’s a gold mine. For the unwary
               The more quotes I read from Ben Franklin,  customer, it is worse than worthless.
            the more I like the old guy. Page one of The   If treatment was effective, then maybe there
            Great Prostate Hoax starts off with one of his  would be some justification for this test, but
            quotes: “He’s the best physician that knows  survival rates for treated men are the same as for
            the worthlessness of most medicines.” In more  men who opt out of treatment. These treatments
            recent times, that quote could be expanded to  are not exactly harmless either. The typical re-
            include many tests, like the PSA test. The first  sult of surgery is incontinence and impotence.
            author, Dr. Ablin, discovered PSA in 1970, so  Prostate cancer is usually very slow-moving,
            he knows exactly what it is—and what it isn’t.   and most men will die with prostate cancer, not
               When men have their PSA checked, what  because of it. In fact, only 3 percent die because
            the test measures is the infinitesimal amount of  of it. Robotic surgery has been promoted as
            PSA in the bloodstream. The first key point Ab-  a better and safer option. Technology always
            lin makes is that there is no “normal” PSA level.  makes things better, right? Strangely, the data
            But that is how millions of men are screened   say that robots don’t do any better than mere
            for prostate cancer, right? Right. So how does   human doctors.                     Prostate
            that work? That’s the next key point. It doesn’t.   The pattern is familiar. The health care
               Why do the test? For most who have lived   system deems that there must be lots of testing.  cancer is
            on this planet for a while and have been pay-  The tests often measure things that just are not   usually very
            ing attention, you know the answer, but for the   that important, like cholesterol, PSA or blood   slow-moving,
            newbies, here’s how it works. Millions of men   pressure. Even if the results are not completely
            get tested every year ($). The tests generate a lot   useless, they are mischaracterized and used to  and most
            of false positives. That means additional, more   panic the victims into hasty and expensive deci-  men will die
            expensive tests or biopsies ($$). Many of those   sions that can ruin their life. But, hey, at least   with prostate
            biopsies are bound to find cancer, especially in   someone is making a lot of money. The thumb   cancer, not
            older men ($$$). This leads to treatment and in   is UP for this book.
            many cases, surgery ($$$$$$$$). Add all that up,                 Review by Tim Boyd because of it.


                                                INVITATION TO WAPF MEMBERS
                 We invite all members of the Weston A. Price Foundation to join our exclusive members-only closed group on
             Facebook. Over two thousand members have already joined. Go to this link and click on the Join Group button and
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                 This is an opportunity to be part of an active and supportive online community as you navigate our dietary recom-
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             our dietary recommendations! Here’s what members are saying about being part of this group:
                 Linda L.: “I can’t express enough how much it means to me to have a safe place for discussion of these some-
             times controversial topics. The members here are respectful of one another and it fosters a wonderful community of
             encouragement. A seemingly rare thing these days.”
                 Renate D.: “I love love love this group! One of my favorite parts of being a member. I feel like I know some people
             here even though we haven’t met. I’ll definitely be at the conference in November so we can chat in person.”

            SPRING 2020                              Wise Traditions                                                   77
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