Deception at Duke UniversityBy: Kelly VaillancourtSource: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7398476n&tag=contentMain;contentAux
*Note: This video is brief (approx. 13:46), and it is important that you watch it in full in order to understand the scope of the issue at hand.Five years ago, Duke University announced that it had found the “holy grail” of cancer research—they’d discovered how to match a patient’s tumor to the best chemotherapy drug. This discovery was a breakthrough because every person’s DNA is unique, therefore every tumor is different. To clarify, and as Scott Pelley noted, “a drug that kills a tumor in one person may not be effective in another”. The scientist behind this discovery was Dr. Anil Potti, who soon became the face of the future of cancer treatment at Duke. In a televised advertisement for Duke’s Cancer Center, Dr. Potti promised the public that his discovery would not only change the face of medicine, but would “revolutionize cancer therapy.”
The breakthrough was made in the lab of Dr. Joseph Nevins, who saw significant potential in Dr. Potti and as a result, became a mentor and supporter of him. Shortly thereafter, research was published under the name of Nevins & Potti, and was featured in prestigious medical journals such as the Journal of Clinical Oncology and the New England Journal of Medicine.
Once Dr. Potti’s breakthrough discovery was published, Kevin Coombes and Keith Baggerly of the MD Anderson Cancer Center began analyzing his results. However, what they found did not support Dr. Potti’s discovery; rather, it was quite the contrary. As Baggerly stated in his interview with Pelley, what they found was “odd, and could not be explained.” As a result, Coombes and Baggerly emailed Duke with their questions regarding Dr. Potti’s discovery. Dr. Potti responded himself, saying that the errors found were merely “clerical,” and that new work confirmed his results.
Nevins and Potti applied for patents on the research, and they (as well as the university) stood to make a fortune. Furthermore, they decided to perform a series of clinical trials on a total of 112 patients who signed up. The tumors of the affected patients “would be surgically biopsied in order to be matched with the best drug.”
During the trials, Coombes and Baggerly continued to analyze Dr. Potti’s research. They were able to conclude that Dr. Potti undoubtedly “reversed” a large portion of the data, which would result in patients getting the worst drug as opposed to the best drug for their tumors. This discovery ultimately led to the suspension of the Duke Cancer Center’s clinical trials, and the call for an outside review committee to further analyze Dr. Potti’s research. As it turns out, the review committee concluded that Dr. Potti was right.
As the clinical trials continued, a man by the name of Walter Jacobs decided he would allow his wife Juliet, who suffered from stage IV lung cancer, to undergo a clinical trial. Walter and Juliet Jacobs were told that the chances of finding the right drug were an astounding 80%. However, what Dr. Potti failed to tell them was that the clinical trials had previously been suspended due to errors in his research.
Nevins himself began to review the data from the clinical trials. He soon came to find that when the underlying data disproved that of Dr. Potti, it was changed—meaning Dr. Potti had actually manipulated the data, and Coombes and Baggerly’s presumptions were right from the get-go.
Juliet Jacobs died merely three months after she entered the clinical trial at Duke University’s Cancer Center, and Dr. Potti resigned shortly thereafter. Walter Jacobs has since filed suit.
Questions to Consider:
1. Should Dr. Joseph Nevins resign from Duke University? Do you believe doing so would “preserve” Duke’s image?
2. Did Duke purposely overlook Dr. Potti’s errors because it was more concerned with the financial gains it would receive from the clinical trials?
3. Now that this story has been aired on national television, how should Duke University respond in regards to PR?
After reviewing the article and video Kelly posted I would agree with the idea of Dr. Nevins resigning. Dr. Nevin's had a the responsibility of overseeing Dr. Potti's research as the director of the institute. It is, therefore, in his realm of accountability to take action in the best interests of the institute and its patients on behalf of a working agent, Dr. Potti. I doubt him resigning would "preserve" Duke's image but it shows that the institute holds agents of the organization liable for their neglect. I am on the fence as to whether this neglect was in the name of financial gain or human mis-judgement. The institute did hire an outsourced review committee to further analyze Dr. Potti's data, however it is within reasonable accommodations for Duke to hire a review committee that is bias. Given these two ideals we must also consider the fact that these are professionals that understand the consequences of mal-practice and that if they knew for a fact that it would consequently harm patients that it would eventually come back to them, which seems to be nothing more than common sense. Duke should take the opportunity to apologize to the public and the patients and their families affected by Dr. Potti's research. Addressing the public with the facts and truth behind the events that occurred can't do anymore harm than the situation has already caused.
ReplyDeleteI feel like yes he should resign. Because he thought he was doing good things for people but was giving people the wrong advice/ treatment. Dukes image will be better after he resigned. There is a lot of bad media about him witch Is making the school look bad. They have been through things like this before throughout the school. For an example the whole thing that happened to the lacrosse team, and they over came all of that so they can over come bad media about this too if they take the right steps. I don’t feel like they over looked anything. They trusted him and his studies and thought that there is no way he could be wrong about this. They might not have taken the right steps to make sure he was doing the right studies but in there eyes he was a smart guy and had all these degrees and didn’t think twice about him being wrong. I feel like Duke needs to have a PR response to ensure people that they are handling what happened and that they are doing everything they can do to fix things. This is make the school look better instead of everyone just seeing all the bad media.
ReplyDelete1. Should Dr. Joseph Nevins resign from Duke University? Do you believe doing so would “preserve” Duke’s image?
ReplyDeleteThis is a real mess that Duke has put themselves in. Dr. Nevins should absolutely resign as he is the leader and let this disaster happen on his watch. I also think the Vice Chancellor should resign for not being effective as well. These resignations will help to move Duke forward in the right direction. Duke's image is not looking to good right now from the Lacrosse team's incident to now this it seems that they are not doing good to instill trust in those in their community.
2. Did Duke purposely overlook Dr. Potti’s errors because it was more concerned with the financial gains it would receive from the clinical trials?
I believe that Duke overlooked the problems with Dr. Potti's work because this "holy grail" was going to do great things for Cancer and the school. To the be the best especially in an area like cancer research is a great thing. Speaking from experience with dealing with Cancer you want the best for those who are fighting the terrible disease. Duke had the "too good to be true" clinical trial that was showing high numbers of good results. It made sense people would want to jump on it and see their loved ones saved. I don't necessarily seeing it be about money, but more about prestige.
3. Now that this story has been aired on national television, how should Duke University respond in regards to PR?
Duke has been doing some good things to cover their tail, such as giving interviews with Sixty Minutes, you see the remorse in Dr. Nevins' eyes and the Vice Chancellor has made new requirements for the clinical trials, but there does need to be a public apology and one coming from Dr. Potti as well. The overall problem is the mistrust factor that many feel so duped by Duke. I know I would not want my loved ones going to Duke for treatment after this, they have not done a good enough job as a medical entity showing that they can move forward successfully.
Wow! I am really angry about this. Again, I am biased because cancer is very close to my family. I can't wrap my mind around people purposely misleading others in a time when they are so vulnerable. In a time like this, people battling cancer, and those people supporting their loved ones, hold onto any little piece or good news or hope they get. How can you provide someone with hope that you know is false? This makes me feel so ashamed because it just goes to show how money has taken over people. People and companies would rather lie, hoping for financial gain, than do what is ethically right. I feel like I am almost writing in circles right now because honestly, I am somewhat at a loss for words.
ReplyDeleteAnyone involved in this lie should either resign or be asked to leave the university. This story is blatently unethical. They not only faked research and a discovery, but they gathered sick, unhealthy, dying people and gave them hope they never had to give. That is absolutely cruel and absolutely vain. I can't lie, I have the worst feeling in my stomach right now thinking about the older gentleman who was talking about his wife, and his best friend, who was struggling with lung cancer. These are REAL people!
I'm sorry, but an apology wouldn't even cut what Duke owes these affected people. To me, an apology seems so small. They do owe an apology, however, but I feel, personally, that these people are owed so much more. Hope cannot be measured in dollars. Hope is a feeling that helps the fighting to hang on and keep battling. You can't put a number on that. Duke can't fix the fact that they purposely lied to these patients, but they do owe these people an apology in the biggest way. Duke should also allow 60 Minutes to put Dr. Potti on the hot seat because the fact that he gets to just sit back and not comment now just doesn't seem right. Duke needs to remove all people associated with this research and with this lie so they can start moving foward. I doubt people will trust them otherwise. This is a huge blow to their reputation.
Duke has put themselves in a very tight spot with this matter. I feel that even though Dr. Nevins may have had good intentions I believe that it is in his best interest to step down. Due to the fact that he was in charge of all of this of coure its going to come back and land on him as being responsible for it. By resigning it will give Duke the chance to get back its name. However like Alli this information really hurts me and the fact that people were putting what life they had left on the line, for something that was a lie, is extremley upsetting to me.
ReplyDeleteI beleive that in the begining Duke may have overlooked Dr. Potti's finding due to the fact that they were getting an extreme amount of recognition from the cancer advances that were taking place. Duke was in its prime known as "the holy grail" however as we've seen that most deffinatley didnt last long.
Even with Duke appologizing I feel that not all people will take this in to account. There was many people affected by this trail that may have lost someone to cancer, and I am sure they are extremly upset beceause they must feel like all they had gone through with Dr. Piotti was a complete lie. As for what Duke has done, they seem to be taking steps in the right direction with interviews and taking responsibilty for what has happened. However I do not know if people will ever trust Duke again for treating diseases like cancer. I know I wouldnt.
1. In concerns to this specific issue I definitely think it would be the smartest decision for Dr. Nevins to resign to save any credibility he might have after this issue is resolved. Also because he was giving false information to people who are looking for answers. He was held responsible for the oversight of what Dr. Potti researched and the answers he found or didn’t find. I think that Dr. Nevins should definitely be held responsible for the outcome from what the articles informs us that both doctors research was soon found to be the exact opposite of the truth but went ahead and pursued the clinical trials on patients. There are a lot of issues of misjudgment and communication from the doctors to the patients.
ReplyDelete2. I feel as if blaming financial gains on this matter is an easy out, I don’t think it was primarily money based but driven by the fact of what these doctors were researching was seen as something that so many people want to find answers to and would do anything to help loved ones survive cancer that it could have been overlooked for a numerous of reasons whether money was the sole factor I don’t think that’s true.
3. In regards of public relations to the university and this issue I think simply airing an apology to all that were given false hope wouldn’t do justice compared to the suffering that candidates and families are going through. Having all parties involved resign would be the best bet for Duke so that they can continue researching and conducting clinical trials without a tainted reputation.
1. I think Dr. Nevins should resign on the sole basis that he is in charge of the operations. He was passing on information that was being passed on to him. Many people will blame him for his involvement whether he knew that something was wrong or he didn't it is still on him as the head. By resigning he could help preserve Duke's image as well as his own because people will look and see that even though it was not him directly altering the results he did take the results and pass them on. His resignation would show that even if he is not directly involved he is taking responsibility for his involvement and accepting the punishment.
ReplyDelete2. Initially I don't believe that Duke was overlooking the results because even though the issue originally showed up that could have been a mistake which does happen. However, after the results continued to come back that should have been a red flag for them to realize something was wrong. Partially I believe that they could have ignored the issue to try to see what the outcome could be and to allow for more time to fix any issues. Also, I believe that they were avoiding the subject to make money because everyone loves money and Duke is no different. Part of me wants to believe that the college was hoping that the results were a fluke and that the medication would really work because of what that would mean for fighting cancer. I believe there are a few factors as to why they ignored or avoided the topic however, there could be more than is being told.
3. Duke should work to separate themselves from Dr. Potti. Whether that be by denouncing his research or firing those involved they need to wipe their hands clear of the situation. Duke also needs to apologize for the actions of their staff because even though they weren't directly involved it happened under the school's umbrella.
1. Should Dr. Joseph Nevins resign from Duke University? Do you believe doing so would “preserve” Duke’s image?
ReplyDeleteI believe that it would be in the best interest for both the school and for Dr. Nevin's reputation to step down from his position. I have the feeling that Dr. Nevins was a sort of unintentional accomplice to Dr. Potti's findings, and should no longer be trusted in the serious hands of cancer care. I understand that he believed in Dr. Potti's potential as a revolutionary doctor, but he failed to provide accurate and true results to the people who need it the most. Cancer is far too serious of a disease to be altering results or being dishonest in findings.
2. Did Duke purposely overlook Dr. Potti’s errors because it was more concerned with the financial gains it would receive from the clinical trials?
I do not think one can be that great of an assumption of the university's intentions. I truly believe that these doctors got so wrapped up and perhaps excited about the 'break through' findings, that they kept plugging ahead to reach results. I do not believe money was really a factor, but rather a bragging right to be correct was at stake. The reputation of the school would have been strengthened greatly if the clinical trials started saving lives.
3. Now that this story has been aired on national television, how should Duke University respond in regards to PR?
It is truly unfortunate that so many patients had put such great trust into this research finding. I do not think this is even about PR anymore, but about the fact that Duke's Cancer Center wasted precious time on patients who simply did not have a lot of time to give. Duke needs to focus on those who they hurt the most in this situation. A public apology is more than necessary. Truthfully, I would not ever trust their research or findings ever again. Maybe the university should begin considering if they are even accredited enough to be handling such important issues in medicine.
This entire situation is very upsetting, and I am shocked that a doctor could be so unprofessional and idiotic to purposefully manipulate findings just to keep his research published. Pathetic.
*I do not think that one can make that great of an assumption
Delete1. Should Dr. Joseph Nevins resign from Duke University? Do you believe doing so would “preserve” Duke’s image?
ReplyDeleteI do believe that Dr. Joseph should step down from the position because of the pressure that it has put on Duke and the university. This is a college that does not have a good reputation with the media as it continues. In the best interest for the university it would make sense for the doctor to step down.
2. Did Duke purposely overlook Dr. Potti’s errors because it was more concerned with the financial gains it would receive from the clinical trials?
The whole case was unethical is gave the hopes of the family a feeling that they cant take away.
3. Now that this story has been aired on national television, how should Duke University respond in regards to PR?
Duke does need to response with something because with the terrible reputation the college has already it would just make things worse. Speaking out about the situation wouldn’t hurt them it could even help them.
In my opinion all Dr. Potti did is give false hope by manipulating the data, therefor his resign is very justified.
ReplyDeleteHowever Dr. Nevins, after watching the video seems to be a man that really believed in the cure and that's why he neglected all the warning signs. Despite all this Dr. Nevins should resign since this matter is a very serious one and the margin of error is very small, by doing so it will help preserve the image of Duke for the long run.
But Duke University should have done a better job on acting on the warning signs to prevent this fraud from happening.
I do not think the University oversaw these signs on purpose. I believe that the University thought everything is under control, trusted Dr. Nevins as a mentor and definitely was blinded by the success, which would have revolutionized cancer treatment. This should not have happened and Duke is fully responsible for not taking actions and assigning a group of professionals to aid and control the doctors.
Duke should first of all apologize and address the ones that were given false hope and the ones that were deceived. Showing that the ones responsible are not working with them anymore would be a good first step. Admitting their mistake nationwide and what exactly they failed to do would be another step. I find it absolutely out of line to spread news like this before even being sure of the outcome.
It is absurd to give thousands of people hope and then take it away. These types of researches should be perfect ionized before spoken about in public. Maybe Duke will learn from this mistake and from now on hire the right personnel and take the right approach when faced with a life important decision.
-I believe that he should resign I can agree with most of the people in class. He needs to take responsibility for his actions and help his case. As far as Duke, it may not preserve the schools image but it will help in the long term. It is going to take some time for the school to help get over this incident. There is always a lot of things a school or company has to do in times of crisis and there is no simple answer to what should be done, only parts that can help the situation.
ReplyDelete- I think it is hard to say what they were actually thinking but I do believe in the heat of the moment they did overlook a lot of things going on during this time. The errors were very clear and were figured out shortly thereafter. In any situation the financial gains are going to look great, there just has to be people looking at the big picture and seeing how these financial gains are happening.
-They need to come out with a major PR campaign, were they come out and apologize publically for the situation. They need to reiterate to the people that they are a reputable school and that they are going to continue to be successful. The school needs to just focus on their strong suits and make sure they stay on tract and do some more good for the community.
1. Should Dr. Joseph Nevins resign from Duke University? Do you believe doing so would “preserve” Duke’s image?
ReplyDeleteI do believe Nevins should resign from Duke University. It doesn't matter which part you chime in on the story, or how much you know about it, his name was still on the medical publications along with Potti's. Even though one may say he was not directly responsible for this, he had enough involvement in such a serious incident at a highly thought of institution that he should "preserve" Duke's image by resigning.
2. Did Duke purposely overlook Dr. Potti’s errors because it was more concerned with the financial gains it would receive from the clinical trials?
I think that they may have overlooked the simple "clerical" errors in the beginning because they would be getting financial gain and also the rep. I don't think if they knew exactly what Potti was doing that they would allow that. They would know better than to damage their image that much.(Not to mention the awful treatment of those poor patients who were betrayed and lied to!) I think they must have believed that his errors were accidental and let them go for many reasons, financial definitely being one of them.
3. Now that this story has been aired on national television, how should Duke University respond in regards to PR?
My jaw dropped watching this video. I can't believe I have never heard of this. I just think it's awful. A reputable, trusted, prestigious University has this guy working for them? A supposed Doctor who cares about his patients? I just don't know. I do think that it is good that Nevins is being straight up that Potti was completely in the wrong and isn't trying to cover up for him at all. Duke just needs to apologize to every person that was affected, and then make a national apology.
After reviewing the article and the video I do believe that Nevins should resign. Duke is am amazing school and this one thing will not ruin their image for they are great and known for a lot of different things. By overlooking the erros in the reasearch, they made a decision to not address them. I do believe it was because of the financial that may be recieved. At the end of the day its all about money and Duke saw that they could make a lot of money based on the research so they overlooked the flaws.
ReplyDeleteIt is abundantly clear that Dr. Potti’s data was fabricated in a desire to make something work. No one has a cure for cancer, yet when his data disproved his theories, Potti than simply changed the results. These actions were at the expense of his mentor Dr. Joseph Nevins who was not aware of the false data being conceived under his watch.
ReplyDeleteNo, I do no believe Nevin’s should resign because like many other scholars who had reviewed Potti’s data, it was difficult to grasp what was not clicking properly with the information he was producing. The image of Duke will not deteriorate just like it didn’t when a duke lacrosse player was accused of rape 7 years ago. The image of Duke’s clinical studies has been tainted, but with time people will forget about the dishonesty of Dr. Potti and his actions.
Duke did not advertise this clinical trial as a standard care program but yet it was publicized as an advanced clinical trial with great results. Cancer patients took a chance on this supposed advancement in the pursuit if curing cancer where they hurt many families by not saving their loved ones. A false, counterfeit, clinical trial was practiced on more than 115 patients fighting cancer and it is only Potti who can be blamed. I do not feel a university of higher learning would ever risk their reputation for financial gain, especially a university such as Duke, who does not need financial support.
In regards to PR and how Duke should answer to the fabrications of an 80% cure for cancer which Potti claimed: Duke should remove Dr. Potti from Duke University so he can no longer run clinical trials as a member of the Duke community. I cannot take away from the man’s inteligene nor am I in a position to say everything he did was wrong because I do not know the trials, which he took or the reasoning for his fabrications. I am aware he is a smart man but he lied and his studies proved nothing but hurt and pain to those fighting cancer.