Why Age of Autism Continues to be a Pain in the Ass to Many

By Kim Stagliano

The New York Times, the newspaper that exposes medical and drug related controversies almost daily and yet refuses to open its eyes to the possibility that vaccines can be unsafe, reports now that colonoscopies are not nearly as efficient in diagnosing colon cancer as the public had been led to believe. Fant-ass-tic!

Isn't it amazing what health care consumer and doctors learn when real studies are run?

Meanwhile, those of us in the autism community continue to get an anesthetic-free colonoscopy by The Times, Dr. Paul Offit, CDC, AAP, Merck, Lilly, Sanofi and others who refuse to investigate vaccine safety.

Click HERE for the full article. "..Then, last spring, researchers reported the test may miss a type of polyp, a flat lesion or an indented one that nestles against the colon wall. And now, a Canadian study, published Tuesday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, found the test, while still widely recommended, was much less accurate than anyone expected.

In the new study, the test missed just about every cancer in the right side of the colon, where cancers are harder to detect but about 40 percent arise. And it also missed roughly a third of cancers in the left side of the colon.

I'm not making light of colonoscopies, by the way. I think it's imperative that we have informed consent for all of our tests and medical procedures, and that includes knowing how well the procedure or product works and its dangers.

Kim Stagliano is Managing Editor of Age of Autism.

Comments

[Heidi]

Kim, you are on fire! thanks for this article. I've been getting colonoscopies every two years because of my dad's history and death from colon cancer but I will have to reevaluate this now.

[Matthew Gilbert]

"Fant-ass-tic!" You get a gold star, Kim! Too funny.

[Lin]

Kim, you have such a way with words...and your wit! Thanks for not lettin' up on 'em. Any of 'em!!

I've always said, I prefer to be kissed first...

[Tanners Dad]

I would love to have help with this blog exchange. Any of the wise want to take a stab at response...

Gail Says:
December 15th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
I have a 14 month old, and I am trying like the dickens to find any actual studies that CONFIRM that there is absolutely no link between autism and immunizations.

All I get is people and sites saying “studies, many studies have shown.” But, I am unable to actually locate ANY studies that show this. Please guide me to the place where they are so that I may make the correct decision for my baby.

Pam Says:
December 16th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Hi, Gail: Good question. The major study in this area was done by the National Institute of Medicine. The title is Immunization Safety Review: Vaccines and Autism. Here is a link: http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3793/4705/20155.aspx. The link summarizes the study, and the full report is for sale. You may be able to get a copy through your public library.

The researchers examined existing research, the strength and weakness of various study designs, and then reached their conclusion: that vaccines do not cause autism.

Here is another link that may be of help: Vaccines and Autism from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/vaccines.htm

I hope this information helps you make your decision. With best wishes,
Pam

http://newsmomsneed.marchofdimes.com/?p=1677

[Kelli Ann Davis -- A Bomb-bastic Day...]

at AoA! Hey, that rhymes. Is the tee-shirt contest still rolling???

Seriously: When you've got all these buzz words contained in an article that's describing a *scientifically* backed procedure: should almost, might actually prevent, it might be, perhaps, the likelihood, I'd say it's time to re-ass-ess the procedure.

(Sorry, couldn't help lobbing in a bomb myself ;-)

[Garbo]

Apropos of the media manipulation comment, has anyone else noticed the ABCNews website keeps having these "flu snapshot" stories? It's video with no reporter, detailing stories of people who died or nearly died from influenza (or its complications -- it's a little unclear). The weird thing is, the video is ALWAYS preceded by an advertisement for Sudafed. Made by Pfizer. Which also makes flu shots. So, just a big coincidence? Or is this a prefab canned video made by Pfizer that ABC is airing as "news"?

[bek]

I personally know 2 people whose colon's perforated during a colonoscopy procedure, 1 died (from the bacteria in the gut) and 1 almost died.....

[Gatogorra]

What? Who knew! Inadaquate screening leading to dangerous practice? I'm aghast.

[Anne Dachel]

Dec. 12, the Times also had the story, Drug Maker Said to Pay Ghostwriters for Journal Articles.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/12/business/13wyeth.html

We were told about the practice of Wyeth Pharmaceutical Company paying ghostwriters to produce medical journal articles favorable to its female hormone replacement therapy Prempro. At least one article was published even after a federal study found the drug raised the risk of breast cancer. This is being made public because of the Senate Finance Committee probe into drug industry influence on doctors.

Stories like this make the Times and they raise serious safety and efficacy questions regarding all the claims out there. As Kim pointed out, why in the world does the Times still pretend that all the studies show vaccines are safe, despite what thousands of parents are saying?

Anne Dachel
Media editor

[Ralph]

Well it's not Pediatrics, JAMA or the Lancet so it's conclusions are irrelevant.

[nhokkanen]

I hope that AoA continues to probe the dark underbelly of our fetid public health bureaucracy, and its intertwined symbiosis with effluvious pharmaceutical marketers. The gloves are on!

[Surprise!]

“This is a really dramatic result,” said Dr. David F. Ransohoff, a gasteroenterologist at the University of North Carolina. “It makes you step back and worry, ‘What do we really know?’ ”

How about nothing?!!?

[Craig Willoughby]

"Meanwhile, those of us in the autism community continue to get an anesthetic-free colonoscopy by The Times, Dr. Paul Offit, CDC, AAP, Merck, Lilly, Sanofi and others who refuse to investigate vaccine safety."

Anesthetic-free...with a cheese grater....

And then, to add insult to injury, our insurance won't cover it, or Medicaid won't cover it, or they take away our child's SSI because we "make too much money."

Yeah, bend over.

[Kevin]

I would much, much rather have a colonoscopy than a child with autism. In fact, I'd be willing to endure one once a month if I could change my sons path in life.