Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.
Director, The Moss Reports
144 St. John's Place
Brooklyn, NY 11217
718-636-4433
February 15, 1998
Dr. Richard Klausner
Director
National Cancer Institute
Bethesda, MD 20892
Dear Dr. Klausner:
Two weeks ago I testified before the Government Reform and Oversight Committee....I informed the Committee about the total lack of progress in the POMES process (Practice Outcomes Monitoring and Evaluation System). Since last August, we POMES participants have not heard one further word about this.
I believe that the main obstacle to progress has been NCI itself. I therefore have called upon Congress to hold up all further appropriations to NCI until you proceed with POMES and the independent Oversight Board that was unanimously endorsed by all participants.
I want you to understand that my goal is not to disrupt NCI. But I want to emphasize how seriously many of us view this question of fairly and impartially evaluating alternative and complementary treatments. If any of these treatments are valuable, then it is urgent that we put the knowledge and resources of NCI behind their testing and development. If they are worthless or fraudulent, then we need to know that, too.
Dr. Klausner, please act quickly to get POMES back on track. I hope that we can work together to carry out fair evaluations and would welcome an opportunity to meet with you at any time to discuss this situation.
Sincerely,
Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.
cc: Rep. Dan Burton and other interested parties
Big Changes Underway at NCI (2/25/98)