Virologist Beata Halassy says self-treatment worked and was a positive experience — but researchers warn that it is not something others should try.
  • HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com
    822·
    1 month ago

    “The problem is not that Halassy used self-experimentation as such, but that publishing her results could encourage others to reject conventional treatment and try something similar, says Sherkow. People with cancer can be particularly susceptible to trying unproven treatments.”

    fuck. of course. I don’t see an issue with people who particularly nasty stuff trying unproven treatments and jeez your not going to stop them. I mean I believe jobs though fruitarianism was going to cure his cancer or some such. As long as they are only risking themselves I don’t see an issue.

    • SandLight@lemmy.worldEnglish
      41·
      1 month ago

      Also, it’s not like most people can just walk into a lab and start cooking to cancer eating viruses. Just because I know someone did it doesn’t mean anything to me if I found out I have cancer tomorrow.

    • mkwt@lemmy.world
      12·
      1 month ago

      So the problem here is this.

      1. Imagine that you have terminal cancer, but you’re not a famous virologist.
      2. Somebody comes along and offers you untested, experimental treatment injections for the low, low price of $75,000.
      3. Gofundme.

      I’ve seen exactly that type of scenario play out with my own relatives. It’s a good reason why medical treatments marketed to the public should be proven to be safe and effective.

      • HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com
        8·
        1 month ago

        I can’t necessarily blame the cancer sufferer but would the gofundme people. Im not sure that scenario is such that you should restrict it. I mean its going to happen to regardless of science papers. Its usually more about the person than things they have seen. I mean its not going to lessen the amount of scammers.

  • iAvicenna@lemmy.world
    44·
    1 month ago

    people do much more stupider things to themselves than curing cancer with high end biotech

    • Cocodapuf@lemmy.world
      7·
      1 month ago

      I’ve often said, that when I go I want it to be on my terms. Not because I got sick, but because I’ve been playing fast and lose with unofficial firmware on my bionic heart. Dying of careless hacking would just be right for me.

  • untorquer@lemmy.world
    29·
    1 month ago

    People who are consenting and terminal are as close to ethical human test subjects as you could possibly get. The only ethical question here is whether it’s acceptable when someone is not profiting from it, and who’s pride gets hurt.

    • LemmyBe@lemmy.world
      9·
      1 month ago

      To me, the ethical thing to do would be to allow people to make their own choices about their own bodies and their own lives, unless the don’t possess the mental ability to do so. Anything else would be unethical.