Without evidence of benefit, an intervention should not be presumed to be beneficial or safe.

- Rogue Medic

Dr. Edward Tobinick Sues Barbara Streisand – or something equally foolish


Dr. Edward Tobinick might not be a quack, but his behavior suggest otherwise.
 

Having a medical degree does not mean not a quack.

Using FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved drugs does not mean not a quack.

Having a medical web site that does not have the word “quantum” all over the place does not mean not a quack.

Threatening to sue people for writing about the lack of evidence for his treatments does not mean not a quack.
 

Dr. Edward Tobinick is suing Science-Based Medicine for writing about Dr. Edward Tobinick’s dubious medical practices.

That strongly suggests that Dr. Edward Tobinick is a quack.
 

The claims and practice of Dr. Tobinick have many of the red flags of a dubious medical practice, of the sort that we discuss regularly on SBM. It seems that Dr. Tobinick does not appreciate public criticism of his claims and practice,[1]

 

Essentially, what Dr. Edward Tobinick is saying is, Your valid criticism of the way I apparently take advantage of patients might discourage patients from shelling out money for my untested treatment.

or –

Your valid criticism of the way I apparently take advantage of patients might encourage patients to ask reasonable questions about my untested treatment – questions that I cannot honestly answer.
 

Etanercept might work, but so might steroids, or ribavarin, or eye of newt, or a kick in the groin.

All of these treatments are equally valid. Oddly, the patients receiving a kick in the groin will probably report the fewest symptoms after treatment. 90% of the kick in the groin patients claimed to be cured and not in need of any further treatment.

Without evidence, and with his opposition to evidence, Dr. Edward Tobinick is just a quack with a brainstorm. Nothing original there.
 

Dr. Edward Tobinick injects etanercept (Enbrel) around the spine. This is not something he covered in his dermatology residency, so has he injected etanercept into the spine yet?

Why etanercept? Etanercept is an immune suppression/anti-inflammation drug. Inflammation is a problem with everything, so preventing/reversing inflammation is the simplistic cure. If this worked in real people, and not just in the hypotheses of pathophysiologists, steroids would have cured everything decades ago.

Perhaps Dr. Edward Tobinick is imitating Dr. Michael Bracken, who is able to produce improved outcomes with steroids (anti-inflammation drugs) for spinal injury, but only when he is in charge of the data.[2]

At least Dr. Michael Bracken published some research to support his claims. Dr. Edward Tobinick just wants us to believe that his interpretation of pathophysiology is miraculously prescient.
 

Evidence? We ain’t got no evidence. We don’t need no evidence! I don’t have to show you any stinkin’ evidence!
 

Maybe Dr. Edward Tobinick does have some valid evidence.

Maybe Dr. Edward Tobinick is just hiding the valid evidence because it is proprietary. 😉

Here are a couple of comments by Dr. Novella on science and the importance of evidence. They probably were not directed specifically at Dr. Edward Tobinick, but they do apply to him.
 

What do you think science is? There’s nothing magical about science. It is simply a systematic way for carefully and thoroughly observing nature and using consistent logic to evaluate results. Which part of that exactly do you disagree with? Do you disagree with being thorough? Using careful observation? Being systematic? Or using consistent logic?

 

Science is the way we learn what works.

Dr. Edward Tobinick’s criticism is evidence that he does not understand science.

Is any treatment, that is not based on evidence, likely to provide a benefit to patients?
 

History is strewn with ideas that were intuitive and made sense at the time, but were also hopelessly wrong.

 
Alternative medicine, opposition to EBM (Evidence Based Medicine), and opposition to SBM (Science-Based Medicine) are all the same mistake – evidence denialism.

Evidence denialism is devotion to being hopelessly wrong and remaining ignorant of being wrong.
 

Barbara Streisand?[3]

Footnotes:

[1] Another Lawsuit To Suppress Legitimate Criticism – This Time SBM
Posted by Steven Novella
July 23, 2014
Science-Based Medicine
Article

[2] Cochrane and a Significantly Biased Review of Steroids for acute spinal cord injury
Fri, 25 May 2012
Rogue Medic
Article

[3] Streisand effect
Wikipedia
Article

Maybe there is no such thing as bad publicity for a quack, but the publicity associated with this law suit means that people will associate the name quack with Dr. Edward Tobinick, or vice versa.

Dr. Edward Tobinick is stating I am not a quack.

Reasonable people are hearing –

I, Dr. Edward Tobinick, am a quack.

.

Comments

  1. HATER! DR TOBINICK IS A WONDERFUL PHYSICIAN. STEVE NOVELLAS NEEDS TO GET A LIFE, SEEMS NOVELLAS HAS TOO MUCH TIME ON HIS HANDS AND NO CREDIBILITY NOW. YOU OVERKILLED THIS ONE.

    • I don’t care if you think that Dr. Tobinick is a wonderful quack.

      I am not fond of quacks, but that is far from hatred.

      I do not like people who harm others for their own benefit.

      Dr. Tobinick harms other people for his own benefit.

      If you disagree, provide valid evidence that Dr. Tobinick’s treatments work.

      If not, then you should apologize.

      .

  2. Dr. Steve Novella is the cure for quackery.

  3. “Rogue Medic” : I truly resent the way you have attempted to make a mockery of Dr. Ed Tobinick here. How dare you do so and then hide yourself behind an anonymous identity. That alone indicates that you’re a dishonest person and a coward. I think you deserve to be sued for libel for these outrageous accusations you have made without any factual evidence to support them. I think you must be an utterly despicable person.

    Dr. Tobinick’s accomplishments are immense and almost too numerous for a person of average intelligence, as you appear to be, to begin to fathom. You owe Dr. Tobinick a sincere apology, in the least, and I wouldn’t blame him a bit if he were to take you to court for libel.

    • Frederick S. Blum,

      Provide valid evidence that Dr. Tobinick’s treatment provide less harm than benefit for cancer patients.

      Provide valid evidence that Dr. Tobinick’s treatment provide any benefit for cancer patients.

      If you do not provide that valid evidence, you are telling us that Dr. Tobinick is a quack.

      Go ahead. I dare you, Frederick S. Blum. Stop making excuses and provide evidence.

      You think that putting a name behind criticism is more important than valid evidence?

      Your gullibility is one of the primary reasons scams are so successful.

      You may have heard of Bernie Madoff. He probably had people, just like you, defending his business. Pity the people who took the advice of people like you.

      “The owner’s name is on the door,” boasted Madoff in promotional material posted on the company’s Web site. “Customers know that Bernard Madoff has a personal interest in maintaining the unblemished record of value, fair-dealing, and high ethical standards that has always been the firms hallmark,” stated the profile that Madoff published about himself.

      The Madoff Chronicles: Inside the Secret World of Bernie and Ruth By Brian Ross

      Google Books search for this quote

      .

      • You really are despicable ” Rogue Medic “. I have not made any such accusations as you have against such a truly great man as Dr. Edward Tobinck; hence, I am not responsible for proving my point, you are. And, you have given no factual evidence for any of the claims you have made against Dr. Tobinick. Why ? I’ll tell you why. It’s because no such evidence exists to support any of your accusations. You’ve made it all up. Why don’t you tell us who you really are, what you’re real name is ? Or are you really and truly only a coward with a repulsive axe to grind against someone who is one of the great human being of our time, namely Dr. Edward Tobinick. Dr. Tobinick will be remembered as one of the gigantic researchers in the field of medicine of our era. Mark my words. You ” Rogue Medic” , whoever you are, will only be known as a person who was an ignoble detractor, deplorable and unintelligent, and nothing more than that.

        • Frederick S. Blum,

          Maybe your adoration of Dr. Tobinick should be made into a religion.

          Provide evidence that the inadequately tested treatment is both safe and actually does what you claim it does.

          If Dr. Tobinick, and his worshipers, were to provide this valid evidence, you would satisfy ethical and scientific standards.

          If Dr. Tobinick, and his worshipers, were to provide this valid evidence, you would no longer be criticized for violating ethical and scientific standards.

          Think of the patients, Frederick S. Blum.

          The patients are more important than the praise and money that Dr. Tobinick is receiving for using inadequately tested treatments on inadequately informed patients.

          Go ahead. I dare you, Frederick S. Blum. Stop making excuses and provide evidence to back up your unsupportable claims.

          ..

  4. Ignoble coward

  5. The fact that you’ve censored my comments speaks volumes about the kind of person you are, ” Rogue Medic.” What are you afraid of being found out for, that you’re no more than a charlatan ? You can’t hide the truth about yourself forever. Eventually it is seen for what it really is – the truth. And, the truth is that you have devised a falsified and libelous campaign against someone who is not only innocent but a truly great medical scientist with a proven honest intelligence that surpasses almost everybody else in medicine today, Dr. Edward Tobinick, only to further your own loathsome self serving agenda.

  6. I’m not hiding myself behind an anonymous name, but your are, ” Rogue Medic.” You have no honor. You are ignoble and a coward.

  7. Moreover, although you have attempted to slight me as a ” worshipper ” of Dr. Tobinick, I am not a patient of his, have not had any direct contact with Dr. Tobinick or any of his associates. I’ve never been to his clinics or offices, and I don’t know any of his patients or anybody he has ever treated. But, I am familiar with his work. And, I can tell you with complete confidence that Dr. Tobinick serves to define the word ” genius, ” and it’s about time you recognize that ” Rogue Medic ” and shut your pie hole about him.

    • Frederick Blum,

      Moreover, although you have attempted to slight me as a ” worshipper ” of Dr. Tobinick, I am not a patient of his, have not had any direct contact with Dr. Tobinick or any of his associates. I’ve never been to his clinics or offices, and I don’t know any of his patients or anybody he has ever treated.

      In other words, you have complete faith in his abilities, but you cannot provide any evidence that Dr. Tobinick is not harming patients?

      How dare you doubt that Dr. Tobinick deserves hundreds of thousands of dollars in tribute for an inadequately tested treatment!

      That is paraphrasing what I see in your ruthless devotion to commenting in defense of your God.

      That is a description of worship.

      Go ahead, Frederick Blum, help save some lives.

      Do something useful, rather than whine.

      Stop hiding the evidence, if it exists.

      Stop making it look like Dr. Tobinick has no evidence of safety and no evidence of benefit, because your repeated failures tell everyone, except your fellow worshipers, that Dr. Tobinick has nothing.

      .

  8. Yes, my name is Frederick Blum, or sometimes, Frederick S. Blum. I also use Rick Blum at times. These are all honest versions of my real name. So what. I have nothing to hide about myself, whereas you must hide your real identity behind a cowardly anonymous mask, “ Rogue Medic, “ lest you could actually be held responsible and therefore liable for your libelous and ad hominem attacks. What better evidence is there that you are a coward, de facto ? Because you are unable to provide truthful facts that would support any of your contrived allegations against Dr. Tobinick, and because you are unable to provide any truthful facts that Dr. Tobinick has ever cause any damage, you resort instead to fabricating defamatory claims against him by using generalized opinions, but opinions without specific facts to support their conclusions prove nothing. And, that is exactly all you have accomplished with all of your derogatory blathering. Moreover, in order deflect attention away from the real problem, which is your inability to provide facts, you resort to dreary and pointless ad hominem attacks against anybody who would question the integrity of your arguments, such as me. So, you fabricate false comparisons and whatnot in order to contrive some kind of guilt by association that doesn’t exist, as you did by comparing me to Bernie Madoff, somebody who is a complete stranger to me, that I do not know, and that I have never had any kind of association or dealings with, and which in so doing reveals your true despicable nature as a person, in addition to that of being a coward as stated. You would do everybody a favor to crawl back under the rock you came from.

  9. To iterate the point I’ve made, you’ve provided no compelling reason to provide any such evidence relating to safety, benefits, or Dr. Tobinick’s qualifications that you continue to harp about in your defamatory campaign against him. I am not responsible for alleging that Dr. Tobinick is engaged in any unsafe practices, or any practices for which there are no medical benefits, or that he is unqualified. You are, except that you are unable to prove it because you have no facts to support your argument. If there were any such provable allegations requiring a defense, then the matter would have already been dealt with in a legal forum which I would have nothing to do with anyway. I’m not Dr. Tobinick and I don’t have to prove anything. I’m only pointing out that you can’t prove anything either. If you believe that you have a case with standing in a court of law then you should pursue a legal action yourself against Dr. Tobinick and compel him to produce factual evidence to defend himself, but you won’t do that for two reasons: 1.) You don’t have any facts to prove your case, and 2) You’re a coward and in order to file a lawsuit it would be necessary for you to reveal your true identity.

    • Frederick Blum,

      Your inability to understand ethics and evidence is not evidence that you understand. It is the opposite.

      Your lack of compassion for those patients subjected to inadequately tested treatments is further evidence of your lack of understanding.

      If you want to sue, go ahead.

      Of course, you will need some evidence.

      .

      • ” Rogue Medic ”

        You stated: ” Your inability to understand ethics and evidence is not evidence that you understand. It is the opposite. ”

        My answer is that your accusatory assumptions are not evidence that you know me, but rather verbal gymnastics meant by you to obfuscate the real problem which is that you have no factual evidence to support your opinions, and to thereby deflect readers of this blog away from the deficiencies of your allegations, deficiencies that I have already pointed out more than once.

        You also stated: ” Your lack of compassion for those patients subjected to inadequately tested treatments is further evidence of your lack of understanding. ”

        My answer to that is your dreary and pointless ad hominem attacks, this time about my ostensible ” lack of compassion ” are despicable attempts used by you to obfuscate and deflect attention away from the real problem that I have also already made clear several times. Namely, again, that you have yet to provide factual evidence that your opinions have any standing in alleging that Dr. Tobinick’s patients have ever been subjected to inadequately tested treatments, and also that of his qualifications.

        And, you also stated: ” If you want to sue, go ahead. Of course, you will need some evidence. ”

        My answer is to state, once again, I am not Dr. Tobinick. I do not have anything to do with him, or any of his associates. You are the one who is trying to bring a case against him, not me. It’s your problem, not mine.

        • Frederick Blum,

          Maybe your adoration of Dr. Tobinick should be made into a religion.

          Provide valid evidence that the inadequately tested treatment is both safe and actually does what you claim it does.

          Think of the patients, rather than your ego, Frederick Blum.

          Go ahead. I dare you, Frederick Blum. Stop making excuses and provide valid evidence of safety and efficacy, if you can.

          If you cannot, you are just deceiving patients about what they are getting, just as Bernie Madoff deceived people about what they were getting.

          How can you provide valid information to patients about the safety and efficacy of a treatment without valid evidence about safety and efficacy?

          Do you just take poison on faith?

          Why do you advocate that others take poison on faith?

          .

  10. Your boring ad hominem attacks do nothing to further your cause, ” Rogue Medic. ” You only seem able to repeat the same meme that you began yourself, without anything new or substantive. I have made my point several times, clearly, and you always fail to answer by avoiding it entirely. It’s not my problem. It’s yours. I should only hope that Dr. Tobinick himself might find this particular exchange of verbiage between myself and ( whoever you are ) to be an amusing exhibition, because other than that you’ve had nothing to say that carries any weight of importance.

  11. I think a more apt description of what you are is ” Rogue Terrorist ” . Forget ” Rogue Medic. ” It’s not really you. Think about it. You hide behind a cowardly mask exactly as terrorists do. You fabricate lies about people and assault them with ad hominem attacks, also exactly as terrorists do. Really, you’re just another unremarkable terrorist. You should change your anonymous cowardly handle to ” Rogue Terrorist. ” At least in doing so you would be honest about yourself.

  12. Mr Blum,

    I had NO idea who this Dr was until today, so a quick google search, and guess what:

    He’s a bit of a bad boy!
    http://casewatch.org/board/med/tobinick/accusation.shtml – case against him and his colleagues upheld

    Science based medicine: he’s promoting something to do what it cannot do
    https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/enbrel-for-stroke-and-alzheimers/

    And finally:
    https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/enbrel-for-stroke-and-alzheimers/

    He’s not a neurologist and is to all intents and purposes, peddling a drug under false representation.

    Anyone who defends him with such vigour should, themselves, be looked at closely and their credentials examined!

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