How is Suzanne Sommers?

[Bindlestiff]

A while back I heard that Suzanne Sommers had cancer and had elected to eschew conventional medicine and follow alternative routes. Then I heard nothing. I figure if she died, I’d hear about it. I also figured that if she were cured, I’d hear about it. Does anybody know what her situation is?

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

Looks like she’s still alive.

http://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/News/06/21/showbuzz/index.html

June 21, 2002

Next year’s Walk of Fame

HOLLYWOOD, California (Reuters) – Next year’s additions to Hollywood’s Walk of Fame will include Kevin Bacon, Robert Duvall, Susan Sarandon and Martin Scorsese for film, Variety’s Army Archerd reports.

Among the TV honorees are Beau Bridges, Larry McCormick, the Osmond family, Isabel Sanford, Suzanne Somers and Kermit the Frog.

< snip >

Posthumous recipients include Gilda Radner and Richard Rodgers.

But I don’t see anything that trumpets a “miracle cure”, so…

[Sam_Stone]

I seem to recall that she changed her mind on the holistic cures and starting getting conventional cancer treatments. That means she may survive.

[Philster]

Yes, she opted for legit medical care verus ‘alternative’ treatments.

I believe James Randi covered this at www.randi.org …although it’s buried in the archive.

He was outraged by her decision to go with quackery, but then updated everyone with the news that she decided on conventional/proven treatment.

[Bindlestiff]

Thanks for the info. I knew you folks would come through.

[CurtC]

From what I recall, her avoiding conventional therapy was originally reported, but was not accurate, and Randi had to correct himself.

I have a friend whose mother had cancer, and besides for conventional therapy, went with a diet-based plan called The Hallelujah Diet, from some Christian guy named Malkmus IIRC. The diet was strictly raw foods, with daily supplements of a powder called “Barley Green.” Fortunately, her cancer was cured, but what makes me mad is, guess which treatment she credits with healing her? She follows the best advice science can offer, and the rantings of some insane flake, then credits the flake.

It reminds me of how people were giving all the credit to god when the miners were rescued recently. And what about all those people who busted their asses to get them out?

[Otto]

“Thank you God, for curing me of the cancer that you gave me in the first place!”

[SpoilerVirgin]

A good article which discusses the Suzanne Somers case:

Somers is taking an herbal treatment called Iscador, a derivative of mistletoe that may help enhance the immune system of cancer patients. The benefits of the product, if any, have not been conclusively established. The media, however, are generating hysteria over Somers’ decision by characterizing her as having “chosen homeopathic remedies to treat her breast cancer,” rather than more accurately explaining that she has chosen to combine accepted and tested conventional treatments – such as lumpectomy, node biopsy and radiation – with an herbal treatment that may help enhance her immune system.

Suzanne can also frequently be seen alive and well on the Home Shopping Network.

[shunt]

Philster:

I was quite interested in the follow-up for this, so here are the two links.

First Randi’s initial comments can be found on this link:

http://www.randi.org/jr/04-20-2001.html

His retraction is here:

http://www.randi.org/jr/05-04-2001.html

[susan]

This zombie has reached the age of majority, and Suzanne Somers has died of breast cancer. Suzanne Somers, longtime Palm Springs resident, dead at 76

[Q.Q.Switcheroo]

“Not great, Bob!”

[engineer_comp_geek]

Since her death is being discussed in more depth in The Cafe, I am going to close this and direct further comments to the CS thread, which may be found here:

Suzanne Somers has passed away at 76

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