By Bahk Eun-ji
Comedian and singer Kim Chul-min, who made headlines for taking a dog deworming medicine to treat his lung cancer, appeared at a National Assembly audit session recently, urging the Ministry of Health and Welfare to help manage such alternative therapies, especially for cancer patients.
"Because cancer patients are easily misled by strange products and do not fully understand the risks, it is easy to take them personally without counseling, thinking, 'If someone else gets better, I'll get better,'" Kim said. "I hope there are doctors who specialize in counseling for such things."
Kim participated in the audit session through recorded video for his health reasons.
Earlier, Kim drew attention when he said he was improving, with inflammation levels falling after taking fenbendazole, a drug used by veterinarians to protect against gastrointestinal parasites in dogs, cats, horses and cattle. He is now battling fourth-stage lung cancer.
Kim said he tried the unproven treatment after an online video claiming the medicine could cure cancer went viral last year. Many people cheered his courage, and fenbendazole sold out at some drug stores.
Last month, however, he said the treatment did not work.
During the legislative inspection, Health and Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo agreed with Kim, saying, "It is necessary to accept alternative therapies into the system. I think a medical system is essential in which cancer patients can consult or discuss alternative therapies every day."
He added, "We will examine deeply how to devise it."
Rep. Shin Hyun-young of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, also pointed out the problem, saying, "In the case of fenbendazole, the government said there was a lack of scientific evidence, but it is also true that the government neglected the management of patients who took it. The use of the medication, side effects and judgment were all up to the patients."
Shin also said the United States had a research center on alternative medicine under the National Institute of Health, and has guidelines on such treatment for cancer patients.
"It is necessary to bring alternative therapies into the institutional sphere to conduct surveys and prepare a level of evidence," he said. "There should be a system that can distinguish it from pseudoscience."
Comedian and singer Kim Chul-min, who made headlines for taking a dog deworming medicine to treat his lung cancer, appeared at a National Assembly audit session recently, urging the Ministry of Health and Welfare to help manage such alternative therapies, especially for cancer patients.
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| Comedian and singer Kim Chul-min during his treatment for lung cancer at a hospital in this Aug. 25 photo. Korea Times file |
Kim participated in the audit session through recorded video for his health reasons.
Earlier, Kim drew attention when he said he was improving, with inflammation levels falling after taking fenbendazole, a drug used by veterinarians to protect against gastrointestinal parasites in dogs, cats, horses and cattle. He is now battling fourth-stage lung cancer.
Kim said he tried the unproven treatment after an online video claiming the medicine could cure cancer went viral last year. Many people cheered his courage, and fenbendazole sold out at some drug stores.
Last month, however, he said the treatment did not work.
During the legislative inspection, Health and Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo agreed with Kim, saying, "It is necessary to accept alternative therapies into the system. I think a medical system is essential in which cancer patients can consult or discuss alternative therapies every day."
He added, "We will examine deeply how to devise it."
Rep. Shin Hyun-young of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, also pointed out the problem, saying, "In the case of fenbendazole, the government said there was a lack of scientific evidence, but it is also true that the government neglected the management of patients who took it. The use of the medication, side effects and judgment were all up to the patients."
Shin also said the United States had a research center on alternative medicine under the National Institute of Health, and has guidelines on such treatment for cancer patients.
"It is necessary to bring alternative therapies into the institutional sphere to conduct surveys and prepare a level of evidence," he said. "There should be a system that can distinguish it from pseudoscience."
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