“My name is Victor A. Marcial-Vega and I am a board certified radiation oncologist and the medical director of Health Horizons, an alternative medicine center in Florida. I received my medical degree from the University of Puerto Rico Medical School, was trained to be an oncologist at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and have taught at Washington University and at the University of Miami. I am presently researching ways to assist individuals in reaching optimal health and rejuvenation through the use of tools that strengthen the whole person. This is the essence of a holistic approach to healing. This new type of medicine can heal any condition and the public needs to know this. A few examples can better illustrate this.

“One of my patients was operated at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida and was found to have an advanced stage Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma three and a half years ago. He was also evaluated at Baptist Hospital of Miami and both teams of physicians recommended radiation and chemotherapy. He was told this treatment would not cure him. He refused this type of therapy because of the possible side effects. His surgeon referred him to me immediately and he started a complete program designed to detoxify and strengthen his body. As part of his program, he had intravenous chelation therapy. He followed the program in a very Disciplined fashion and today he has no evidence of cancer and leads a very active life at 80 years old. Some of you may know this patient, as I am sure he is a well-respected friend. His name is Luis Cema. Mr. Cerna's son, Juan who was with his father on his medical journey is in the audience today representing his father.

“Another patient was preparing to die when he came to see me. He had cancer spread throughout the abdomen and full blown AIDS. He had one cycle of chemotherapy and almost died from it. When I saw him 3 months ago, he had a large opening in his abdomen that would not close because the tumor would not allow it to heal.

“He was started on a program that included chelation and he followed it diligently. The wound closed completely, all his pain and discomfort disappeared and he gained 15 pounds. I just obtained an X-ray that showed no evidence of cancer and 95% of the AIDS virus has disappeared from his blood. With permission to use his name, Luciano DiLorenzo is completely healthy and living again.

“What do these examples mean for you? What about others whose names you recognize? The world will long mourn the losses of King Hussein and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Despite having the best medical care money can buy, they died of complications to their treatment, not from the actual cancers. Why? Because the conventional medicine that I and every other oncologist in America was taught does not include the knowledge of other healing treatments, those therapies that are outside the mainstream. We as oncologists have not been properly equipped to help our patients to the extent we should be. I went outside my medical training and found answers that actually help people. Patients need to receive this information in order to save their lives. Ignorance is killing Americans today. We have the tools to heal any condition. We need to inform the public of these tools.

“There are three things that I propose in order to help stop the ignorance and needless dying. I propose:

I . That a study is instituted that recruits physicians already achieving result similar to these that I have discussed and that the outcomes of these physicians are tracked so that data that is more than anecdotal is obtained.

2. That new programs be designed in all medical schools to teach holistic and alternative medical philosophies and techniques.

3. That we expand on the general consensus of the way disease is treated. Instead of attacking the problem, be it cancer, AIDS, high blood pressure, diabetes, impotence and others, that we as health care professionals, also educate and assist the individual in eradicating his or her own disease.

“Chelation is an integral part of the care I provide my patients. It has a beneficial effect on their health outcomes. I say this not only as a physician, but also as someone who is trained in research. I have conducted NIH-funded research, and have a good understanding of science as well as medicine. The Federal agencies that have not conducted research in this field have done a disservice to the American public. An agency prevents a professional medical association from sharing information with its members and the public about the potential benefits of this or any medical treatment has begun to take away that which we as America treasure so much -- freedom. Freedom of access to information and freedom to make our own health care choices.

“Thank you very much for the opportunity to address the Committee."