Claim: Chemotherapy has a failure rate of 97%
Fact: False. Effectiveness of chemotherapy and cancer survival rates vary based on various factors such as disease progression, patient health status, comorbidities, and lifestyle habits. This is a complex issue and cannot be reduced to a simplistic statement.
A video of a doctor’s 2016 interview has resurfaced and gone viral on social media claiming that chemotherapy has a 97 percent failure rate, and that medical professionals prescribe it solely for financial gain.
The speaker in the video is Dr. Peter Glidden, a naturopathic physician with over three decades of experience. He advocates natural, holistic health approaches, including medical nutrition and homeopathy and speaks against allopathic practices. Dr. Glidden believes the cause of every disease is the deficiency of a specific substance, be it a mineral or a vitamin and addressing this deficiency can lead to a cure.
Based on the data from the United States, localized breast cancer has a five-year survival rate of approximately 93.1 percent. For colorectal cancer, chemotherapy, especially when combined with surgery, can significantly boost survival chances. Localized colorectal cancer has a five-year survival rate of around 90 percent, though this decreases to 13 percent for distant-stage cases.
No substantial evidence exists supporting the claim that doctors prescribe chemotherapy only for monetary gain. In nations with universal healthcare systems like the UK, Canada, and Australia, physicians operate within publicly funded frameworks where treatment decisions are not influenced by direct financial incentives. These systems prioritize evidence-based care, with chemotherapy prescribed according to clinical guidelines aimed at improving survival rates and quality of life.
On the contrary, research shows that homeopathy, which involves using highly diluted substances for treatment, is largely disputed by the scientific community. Multiple reviews have found no reliable evidence of its efficacy beyond placebo effects
Also read: Now, 50% lung cancer patients can survive beyond 5 years
