Subcommittee on Neurological Disease committee  . The second thing is that many of the patients, in my understanding, and I stand to be corrected, have been continued on their regular medical therapies, many of which are being shown to have an effect on relapsing-remitting that is very similar to that being described for CCSVI. So I

Subcommittee on Neurological Disease committee   who are not living it to say that we need more research on this, but obviously with what has transpired here and the urgency, there is a need for us to move forward and do it in conjunction with a research study. This CCSVI, I believe, would also assist in eliminating some

Subcommittee on Neurological Disease committee  After the testimony we have heard, I would just like to add a comment about CCSVI. Patients, a doctor and specialists have told us that we should focus on treating CCSVI. Others have said that the current state of science is not advanced enough to do that. Both sides

Subcommittee on Neurological Disease committee  There are 47 countries in the world that recognize CCSVI as a true entity. In terms of the science, Dr. Zamboni did a study. He looked at 65 patients and found that many patients with MS had significant venous anomalies. He treated 65 patients and many of them saw significant

Subcommittee on Neurological Disease committee  Do you think it would be fair for every MS patient across this country to be imaged for CCSVI?

Subcommittee on Neurological Disease committee  I believe everybody with MS should be imaged. The cost of doing the procedure is small. The problem, however, is the number of people who are adequately trained to do the duplex imaging of patients with CCSVI is small. There are currently three technicians trained in Canada

Subcommittee on Neurological Disease committee  Dr. McDonald, who will make the decision whether or not to image for CCSVI in Canada? What criteria have to be met? What timeline are we looking at? What is stopping you from performing this procedure today?

Subcommittee on Neurological Disease committee   can't do it. For instance, in Quebec, the college said they didn't think we should be imaging for CCSVI in patients. Why, I don't know. Why the decision was made, I don't know, but I believe that decision came down roughly a week ago.

Subcommittee on Neurological Disease committee   are asking, what my colleagues are asking, is that we take MS out of the equation. If you have a vein problem in your liver, in your leg, we image and we treat it. Since there was discussion about the science, Dr. McDonald, I'm wondering if you can talk to us about the science of CCSVI

Subcommittee on Neurological Disease committee   knowledge about CCSVI, and you've already heard from many experts about it. The only thing I can say is that in many cases like this, it is very important that there be careful research before patient populations are subject to new treatments that have not yet been proven to be effective

Subcommittee on Neurological Disease committee   and solutions. All Canadians with vascular problems can be tested and treated in Canada, unless they have MS. Since I've been diagnosed with CCSVI, my family doctor has recommended that I see a vascular specialist, but none will see me without a referral from my neurologist, who in turn

Subcommittee on Neurological Disease committee  Certainly. What I would like to do is end up with what the importance of the CCSVI is. The CCSVI is an extraordinarily interesting, novel idea, and in fact the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada some time ago took a lead in the world in calling for a research proposal request

Subcommittee on Neurological Disease committee   at a therapeutic process, one has to have some sort of justification. Sometimes the justification can come from clinical observation and sometimes it can come from experimental observation on animal and tissue culture models. For instance, we all know—and this has some analogies to CCSVI

Subcommittee on Neurological Disease committee   disease is both progressive and aggressive. Studies are currently under way at St. Joesph's and McMaster for CCSVI. As important as these studies are, many with MS, like my sister, don't have time to wait for the results. I'm here to ask the committee to take whatever steps, whatever

Subcommittee on Neurological Disease committee   CCSVI, it is important that it be treated respectfully and be assessed like all the other hypotheses, of which there are many at the present time. What we have asked for is that there be an accepted, standardized approach to answering the questions, and most of the clinicians