Oops! - Dr. Atkins killed me, suit says

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J David Anderso

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Gotta post this before Jay - cut and paste - Stevens
spots it ...

Cancer victim faulted diet guru's 'quackery'

http://tinyurl.com/2by7q

Dr. Atkins killed me, suit says

Cancer victim faulted diet guru's 'quackery'

Daily News Exclusive

By HELEN PETERSON and DON SINGLETON DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

From beyond the grave, a woman who died of breast cancer is
suing the late diet guru Dr. Robert Atkins for giving her
the advice that she says ended up costing her life.

The suit, seeking unspecified damages, was filed in
Manhattan Supreme Court by the estate of Carol Rubick, a
woman who died of breast cancer on Jan. 18, 2003, after
receiving five years of oncological treatments at the Atkins
Center for Complementary Medicine.

The plaintiff, Linda Lou Poag, executrix of Rubick's estate,
claims that Atkins and two other doctors at the Atkins
Center were negligent in treating Rubick's cancer.

In 1995, Rubick, then 39, underwent a lumpectomy of her
right breast for treatment of stage two breast cancer,
according to court papers. The surgeon - not affiliated with
Atkins - referred Rubick to a traditional oncologist for
chemotherapy.

Rubick decided instead to pursue "alternative care" with Dr.
Atkins, care that consisted of such "quackery" as dietary
manipulation, enemas and vitamin therapy, the suit says.

In 2000, a new lump developed in Rubick's right breast
and she underwent a mastectomy. Less than three years
later, she died.

Poag's suit includes a physician's opinion that Rubick died
"as a result of the care and treatment rendered by the
defendants," and by their failure to advise her to go for
chemotherapy.

An Internet search last week for information on the Atkins
Center turned up an undated Web site carrying the following
message: "Dr. Atkins is cutting back on his cancer practice
- He is only doing cancer prevention and he does have a
unique hormonal program for prostate cancer. He is focusing
on his diet program."

In last week's published decision, Justice Joan Carey
allowed the suit to proceed, granting a renewal of the
original complaint, which was filed before the deaths of
Rubick and Atkins.

Neither Poag; Rubick's lawyer, Roger Kunkis, nor Dawn
Bristol, attorney for Atkins and his co-defendants, Drs.
Fred Pescatore and Lawrence Kempf, could be reached for
comment yesterday.

A spokesman for Veronica Atkins, Atkins' widow, did not
return a reporter's phone calls yesterday.

[email protected]

[email protected]

Originally published on July 4, 2004
 
"J David Anderson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Gotta post this before Jay - cut and paste - Stevens
> spots it ...

Excellent story. A woman gets cancer and has the lump
removed, following which the surgeon recommends
chemotherapy. She basically says "Bollocks to that, I'm
going with an ALTERNATIVE treatment plan" and off she
toddles to Atkins. Then she wants to sue hime because he
DIDN'T recommend chemotherapy.

Seems like a fight to the death is on the cards here :)

Beav