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Amazing to read about the development of chemotherapy (and other drugs) and clinical trials. I appreciated as well your "stork story," which perfectly sums up the proliferation of "opinion-y" science-sounding mis-information on the internet and elsewhere. I remember going through radiation, surgery and chemo and repeatedly coming across the prase "slash, poison, burn..." I wrote a blog post about it at the time. When you are a cancer patient, people you barely know and who have no background in medicine will tell you to "starve your cancer" or use high dose vitamin C (all ideas strongly encouraged by pseudo-scientists on the internet) but to people like me, whose life was saved by chemo, surgery and radiation, this is like rubbing salt in a wound. I am so grateful for the doctors, scientists, and patients who developed and took part in clinical trials, and those who continue to do so. Thank you so much for this amazing piece!

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author

Thank you for being here and for sharing your story. I just followed your newsletter and look forward to reading more.

I hear you on the Vitamin C and all the rest. Everyone has all the answers whether you want to hear them or not. I am in awe of the burdens placed on people with cancer - not only physically and emotionally, but also to carry the fears of others. I'm so glad you are doing well.

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Thank you so much for following!! That makes my day 😊 i am really enjoying your newsletter!!!

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May 7Liked by Stacy Wentworth, M.D.

I remember in the run up to chemo the “mustard gas origins” didn’t play as well for me as I think the doctor hoped! But great piece, and interesting to learn about the creation of the clinical trial (and how relatively new it all is!). Thank God for Zubrod.

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author

Yes! Preparation for transplant is one of the few times we still use nitrogen mustard derivatives. The bone marrow toxicity is a positive in this case. Zubrod was a visionary.

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