"It's not what a lot of people think," says Kantoff. "It's not a home run; this is not going to cure prostate cancer, it's not going to make tumors go away. But on the other hand, it improves survival."
I never liked Philip Kantoff ever since his first derogatory remarks about Provenge in 2005 where he insisted on more data, and then went on to back the denial of Provenge approval by the FDA in 2007. At the time we found out that he was heading the efforts of a competing prostate cancer vaccine with a Cambridge MA company that has gone bust since then (the name of that company escapes me now). Of course, when that failed, he became an investigator for Provenge with IMPACT and now he justifies his past actions by backing Provenge but in a very lukewarm manner...
It is doctors such as Kantoff that hold back sciences because they are in this field mainly for fame and money rather than the good of the patients and the real advancement of sciences. They are dangerous creatures because over time they have managed to use their prestigious positions at well respected centers to promote themselves through empty but numerous publications, and then use that podium to promote themselves at the expense of patients and sciences. Another example of that is none other than Howard Scher....
At any rate, it is good to have Kantoff in our camp now but that does not change my lack of respect for him as a doctor who cares more about his fame and fortune than about the patients and the sciences...