Dr. Don Carrow's tale - Letters to the Editor - Letter to the Editor

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  April, 2004  by T.R. Shantha

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Editor:

I read the article and story about Dr. Don Carrow's untimely death, his background, education, and multiple medical and non-medical specialty interests he had, in the January 2004 issue of Townsend Letter. Like Dr. Carrow, I have practiced anesthesia and pain management for 3 decades. Before joining anesthesia, I worked 15 years in basic science research at Emory University School of Medicine and the Yerkes Regional Primate Center of Emory University in Atlanta. Today I practice at a complementary health center treating cancer patients and those afflicted with various chronic diseases including Lyme disease.

Ten years ago I treated a lady who was dying from septic shock after surgery with massive peritoneal infection in the hospital. I did peritoneal hyperthermia (after obtaining permission from IRB in the wee hours) with chemotherapeutic agent for 4 hours. The patient walked out of the hospital and she is still alive today. This procedure has never been attempted before anywhere in the world. Sarcasm and indignation was expressed by my colleagues about how I treated this woman. I survived due to my genuine interest in the science of finding new therapies to heal patients. I wanted to continue to use this method for both peritoneal and ovarian cancer patients. I could not get the IRB approval due to these doctors who did not understand the procedure and did not like changes from the status quo. I sympathize with Dr. Carrow and the hassle created by hostile colleagues, medical boards and even the FDA for those doctors "who dare to think outside the box."

Reading your article I noticed two glaring omissions to the contributions made by Dr. Carrow:

1. The advancement of the Coley's Vaccine for Cancer patients.

2. His contribution to the dissemination of Prolotherapy as a viable pain controlling technique.

Two weeks before his death Dr. Carrow and I were considering a collaboration on the Coley's vaccine between our two centers. He was very much aware of my background on IPT and other research I have done and published more than 125 research papers in the most prestigious medical journals all over the world (British J, Nature, NEJM, Science, J NCI, J Urology, and more) and 6 books. In 1954 I heard about Coley's vaccine when I was a medical student.

I enjoyed talking to him. I knew that he was the only person who could produce, standardize and dispense Coley's vaccine for cancer patients. He did tentatively agree to such collaboration in the future. Dr. Carrow's wife, Deborah Ray, has dedicated her life to dispersing scientifically based medical information through her Radio Talk Show. Indeed it would be a tragedy if Dr. Coley's vaccine should go the way of Dr. Rife's technology where uncertainty rules and no one can duplicate his work or results. I would love to participate in a revival of Coley's work and would love such collaboration. I have contacted Dr. Carrow's wife about this matter and hope she will pursue the matter in the future.

Another important therapy Dr. Carrow practiced is prolotherapy for pain, which is also considered somewhat controversial. One of my Nurses went to work with Dr. Carrow briefly. He told me that he was a master at prolotherapy for treatment of every kind of painful orthopedic condition including chronic fibromyalgia. Dr. Carrow could perform dozens of injections in matter of minutes. Several patients told my nurse that this was the only procedure that gave them sustainable relief from pain. This included several 'failed back surgery' patients who are notoriously difficult to treat. Being an ex. professor of Anatomy with a PhD in the field, I always felt any one who does pain medicine including prolotherapy, should know anatomy well, as the late Dr. Carrow did. He was a master of this wonderful method and he invited others to watch him work on patients.

I have never heard of anyone who has had 1700 malpractice law suits which he successfully defended! This should go in the Guinness Book of world record! These legal problems must have consumed his mind, and took away from future research contribution he could have made with his innovative brilliant mind. I cannot imagine the cost in dollars and emotionally invested time that all these frivolous lawsuits cost him. It is not surprising that he might have spent more than a million dollars defending these cases. I am certain that the fruits of his efforts, and sacrifices he made, paved the way for other physicians in this field to practice chelation and other alternative therapies without being harassed or sued in the state of Florida.

I am looking forward to reading the future book on Dr. Carrow's life and work. This research orientated medical maverick can truly say: "I fought city hall and won."

As a basic scientist, researcher, and board certified anesthesiologist and pain specialist, my hat is off to this wonderful innovator. He did find something new in every field he touched in his life, starting with academic chemistry, anesthesiology and finally, alternative medicine. We will all miss him in complementary medicine and the help he would have continued to accrue for our betterment. I sincerely hope that his wife, Deborah Ray, continues to carry his torch in advancing the cause of alternative medicine to future generations of both doctors and patients.