CALMARE / CTTC: It's important not to confuse "turds" with "money-grubbing turdified idiots"

Competitive Technologies Inc. CTTC:OTC US
Bloomberg Businessweek

One of CALMARE / CTTC 's apologists is not even trying very hard.  I feel for him/her. It calls itself "Southern Gal," a pseudo-friendly monicker that calls up trust and stand-by-your-man-shipness. On an InvestorsHub message board, s/he proudly posted the results of a study (actually ended before it had the necessary number of test subjects for statistical relevance) as if it were a GOOD thing for CALMARE "technology." Give it a quick read, with one half of your brain tied behind your back, and see what you derive as relevant information.

Let's start with what we know.  We know that Dr. Jose Ochoa is a turd, a money-driven bought mouthpiece for the insurance companies.  We hesitate to go beyond calling him a deceptive, perjuring, money-grubber turd, because he has been known to sue.

The thing is, he's not an idiot.

These CALMARE turds-for-hire?  They share his essential traits.  But... there is nothing available, as of yet, to make naming them idiots an act capable of tort-power.

Hence, until further information is disclosed, the CALMARE/Scrambler therapy advocates shall be known as "money-grubbing turdified idiots." It might be argued that their paycheck recuses them from the "idiot" category, but we are using the broadest definition of "idiot," which, in our experience includes "amoral soul suckers."


So here is the latest contribution of the Southern Belle's propagandish silliness, and any inaccuracies are hers:

A randomized, double-blind study of “Scrambler” therapy versus sham for painful chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).  

Sub-category:
Symptom Management/Supportive Care/Palliative Care  

Category:
Patient and Survivor Care  

Meeting:
2013 ASCO Annual Meeting  

Abstract No:
9635  

Citation:
J Clin Oncol 31, 2013 (suppl; abstr 9635)  

Publication-only abstracts (abstract number preceded by an "e"), published in conjunction with the 2013 Annual Meeting but not presented at the Meeting, can be found online only.
Author(s): Toby Christopher Campbell, Amit J Nimunkar, Janet Retseck, Jens C. Eickhoff, Miroslav Backonja, James F. Cleary, Kristine L Kwekkeboom, Thomas Y Yen; University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI; University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI; University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, WI; Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI; University of Wisconsin School of Nursing, Madison, WI; University of Wisconsin Biomedical Engineering, Madison, WI
Abstract Disclosures

Abstract:
Background: CIPN is a debilitating, dose-limiting toxicity. The MC5A is a non-invasive electro-analgesia device delivering “Scrambler Therapy,” which has shown benefit for painful CIPN in uncontrolled studies. No sham-controlled trials of MC5A have been performed. Methods: Eligible patients included adults with neuropathic pain (NP) for > 6 months, pain scores =4/10 numerical rating scale (NRS), and no history of diabetes or other peripheral neuropathies. Patients received up to 10 daily sessions of 50 minutes with either MC5A or a novel active sham device constructed to deliver a just perceptible electrical sensation. Sham output is neither a TENS nor MC5A and is designed to be nontherapeutic. Active and sham treatments were applied to the affected limbs. 14 patients were randomized with no baseline differences. Patients and evaluators were blinded to study arm. Pain was measured before, daily during, after and 3 months post-treatment (verbal NRS). The primary endpoint was change in pain. Secondary endpoints included quantitative neurosensory testing (QST), validated patient-report measures, and cytokines. Results: There were 7 patients in each arm. The table shows changes in pain scores pre- and post-treatment by day and group. There was no difference between arms and no arm x day interaction. There was no significant day or arm effect for the function sub scales. Conclusions: In a small pilot study, MC5A was not significantly different from sham therapy for the primary outcome. The sham is feasible and provides a mechanism for future controlled studies with MC5A. Secondary endpoints, e.g. QST are forthcoming. Clinical trial information: NCT01261780. 

So, Dear Readers, how have you been doing?  Holding up okay?  That's right, I'm angry.  I spent a good third of the night screaming, writhing in what can only be called pain and pure misery.  Spasms, with but 10-40 seconds rest in between "sessions."  Burning limbs.  I'm gone all red, hugely edematous, a physical caricature of fire.  Oh, how I wish I had access to a machine that might provide relief that is "not significantly different from sham therapy."

Soul-sucking turdified money-grubbing idiots.  We are people in desperate pain and it's not five minutes in my "shoes" that I wish for you -- but all of my pain, in its entirety, forever.