(Editor’s note: Jeff Coleman and I were emailing the other day about something or other, and he mentioned his “roller coaster of emotions” with having been diagnosed with perineural invasion.
Like the bogus microscopic determination of the G6 as a cancer, there is no hard scientific data that PNI is potentially deadly. Worse still, there is no hard scientific data to support surveillance biopsies randomly and blindly sampling 0.1% of the prostate as being safe and beneficial. The prostate cancer arena remains full of half-truths and misrepresentations and is mostly, without the support of irrefutable and reproducible data.
It was a few years ago that I read the book, this was when Ralph was first up at bat. I do believe the whole idea was his and that he corralled Dr. S. to go along with it. Which he was only too happy to do, of course. Not sure if it should be required reading for anybody who gets a PCa diagnosis, but as my grandmother (or someone's) used to say: It vudn't hoit.
You're right. I left Blum as shortcut. I'll add him in. FYI, the new edition puts Scholz first. The original had Blum first. Take up with Dr. Scholz. You were a pal of Blum's, right? Thanks for standing up for him. Years ago, I wrote something about Freud discovering cocaine. I left off his partner's name. Turns his partner's daughter lived outside Chicago. She called me on it. I can't get away with anything. Check it out: https://howardwolinsky.substack.com/p/part-ii-the-perineural-invaders?s=w
Ralph Blum. Someone in the group was pals with him. But good you stood up for a dead author albeit the second author at this point. Hope you'll do the same for me.
Dr. V. Thanks for sharing your views. Have you ever been challenged by urologists?
Like the bogus microscopic determination of the G6 as a cancer, there is no hard scientific data that PNI is potentially deadly. Worse still, there is no hard scientific data to support surveillance biopsies randomly and blindly sampling 0.1% of the prostate as being safe and beneficial. The prostate cancer arena remains full of half-truths and misrepresentations and is mostly, without the support of irrefutable and reproducible data.
It was a few years ago that I read the book, this was when Ralph was first up at bat. I do believe the whole idea was his and that he corralled Dr. S. to go along with it. Which he was only too happy to do, of course. Not sure if it should be required reading for anybody who gets a PCa diagnosis, but as my grandmother (or someone's) used to say: It vudn't hoit.
Good piece, Howard. And valuable info. One tiny quibble: the authors of the Prostate Snatchers book are Ralph Blum and Dr. Scholz.
You're right. I left Blum as shortcut. I'll add him in. FYI, the new edition puts Scholz first. The original had Blum first. Take up with Dr. Scholz. You were a pal of Blum's, right? Thanks for standing up for him. Years ago, I wrote something about Freud discovering cocaine. I left off his partner's name. Turns his partner's daughter lived outside Chicago. She called me on it. I can't get away with anything. Check it out: https://howardwolinsky.substack.com/p/part-ii-the-perineural-invaders?s=w
Great, and thanks. But no, I never knew Howard Blum but I enjoyed his writing!
Ralph Blum. Someone in the group was pals with him. But good you stood up for a dead author albeit the second author at this point. Hope you'll do the same for me.