Braid: Danielle Smith turns her love of fringe views to cancer care

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UCP leadership candidate Danielle Smith’s attempts at banter are almost laughable at times. This is dangerous.

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Her quirky statement about cancer care may encourage patients not to seek “usual” or “traditional” care until their cancer is stage four. At which time, in many cases, patients will die no matter what care they receive.

If I had followed her recipe, I might have died too. We will get to it.

Smith spoke with a naturopath for an hour in a campaign video. The common assumption was that mainstream medicine does little to promote wellness or prevent disease. For this, apparently, we should turn to alternative, non-traditional medicine.

Fake. AHS has many prevention and wellness programs. Primary care physician networks routinely refer patients to nutritionists, mental health consultants, and other specialties. Health care usually pays for initial appointments.

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I have nothing against naturopaths. They are a recognized and regulated profession in Alberta.

But Smith’s casual acceptance of claims to the contrary is downright appalling. This mind in the prime minister’s office, based on modern medicine, can wreak havoc.

Smith said: “Once you arrive and you have stage 4 cancer, and there’s radiation and surgery and chemotherapy, these are incredibly expensive interventions, not only for the system, but also expensive in terms of the toll it takes on the body.

“I think about everything that was created before you get to stage 4 and that diagnosis, that’s completely within your control, and there’s something you can do about it that’s different.”

She later denied this, but did not retract her statement.

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The response on Twitter and other social media was incandescent.

“Yes, I encourage @ABDanielleSmith to visit a pediatric oncology ward and explain to those kids what they should have done differently,” said Steve Lillebuen.

Smith’s opponent, Brian Jean, responded: “When it comes to cancer, you don’t know what you’re talking about.

“Having lost a child and other family members to cancer, I think I can speak for many parents and loved ones.

“Telling someone that their cancer is ‘completely under your control’ before stage four is insensitive, hurtful and untrue.

“Please stop.”

When I was diagnosed with prostate cancer about eight years ago, I immediately received excellent advice on how to take care of myself, what to eat and not to eat, how much to drink, how to lose weight. All this came from “mainstream” experts.

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Older men with low-grade prostate cancer are often referred to as “watch and wait” cases. The reason is not flattering. “At your age you will probably die of cancer and not of it,” said one doctor.

However, my doctors watched me like a hawk over a gopher.

I had regular tests, constant health reminders. I quit drinking and eventually lost almost 60 pounds.

Cancer paid no attention. Over a few months two years ago, my PSA reading—the key metric for tracking prostate cancer—went from seven to 17. An emergency biopsy showed a dangerously aggressive cell at work.

At this point I was in stage two, a long way from stage four. The cancer was still under control. I was given hormone therapy, which controls the growth of the cancer while giving you the sensitivity of a woman’s dawn (and I mean it.)

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Then began a month of radiation therapy – 20 blasts on a Tom Baker table by super-skilled doctors and technicians. This is a demanding regime and comes with unpleasant consequences.

But three months after it was over, my PSA level was down to 0.3. He stayed there for more than a year. I was declared cancer free.

My point is: I did everything I was advised to do, including wellness and prevention help, and the cancer still went away. It was not in my control, no matter how hard I tried to escape it.

Today I am fine precisely because I received regular “mainstream” evaluations at every step and therapy was started at the first sign of serious danger.

Please do not take your medical advice from Danielle Smith. The candidate is prone to jokes.

Don Braid’s column appears regularly in the Herald.

Tweet: @DonBraid