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BURZYNSKI

By Phil Hall | June 3, 2010

Eric Merola’s documentary focuses on the controversies surrounding Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski, a Polish-born physician who has been at the center of controversy following his development of antineoplastons as a treatment for seemingly incurable cancers.

In offering antineoplaston therapy instead of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, Dr. Burzynski forced the medical profession and the pharmaceutical industry to reconsider their long-held theories on cancer treatment. The reaction, not surprisingly, was harsh and negative. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sought to stop him based on a legal anomaly – Dr. Burzynski conducted his work in Houston without FDA approval, which was legal under Texas law at the time. Despite negative pressure from the media and the Congress, the FDA pushed five separate federal grand juries to indict Dr. Burzynski, ultimately resulting in two federal trials that failed to return guilty verdicts.

When the FDA couldn’t stop him, the federally funded National Cancer Institute reluctantly agreed to work with him – albeit by intentionally screwing up his instructions, thus resulting in test results that could not possibly succeed. Simultaneously, the government sought to hijack Dr. Burzynski’s research and patents on antineoplastons.

As filmmaking goes, “Burzynski” is fairly elementary stuff: talking head interviews, old news footage, and images of letters and documents with highlighted text. Dr. Burzynski and his supporters speak at length, but equal camera time is not given to those who questioned his work and results. (Even the film quietly admits that most of Dr. Burzynski’s patients have not achieved cancer-free results.)

Nonetheless, the film offers a jolting examination of the hideous collusion between federal agencies and the pharmaceutical industry. In their partnership, profits and ego massaging takes priority over the treatment of the terminally ill. Furthermore, the testimony of Dr. Burzynski’s patients – particularly the tragic testimony of a San Francisco policeman whose child died from the ravages of chemotherapy even though her cancer was cured by the doctor – provides a stirring contradiction to the empty boasts about the quality of the American medical system.

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  1. Maya Tiktz'i says:

    We are living worse than those poor souls who found themselves in concentration camps during WWII!!! Wake up people….remove your blinders and really see what is going on around you!!

  2. Jennifer Manncini says:

    It is about time a documentary is done on this doctor that is treating cancer patients without having them suffer as other doctors are doing with the “traditional” treatments. This information should be in all newspapers and TV stations..Instead again the powers above use whatever they can to discredit him
    and are afraid he may take away all the $$$$$ they make from the drugs (chemo) this is a BIG business.

  3. LaVerne Boeckmann says:

    We had the Doctor speak at our World Research Foundation International Health Congress in the 1980’s.

    He is an incredible doctor and has continued to work against all odds to help others with their health problems.

    We applaud your movie that further educates the public about his wonderful work.

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