Pseudoscience has reached a new low in the form of medical astrology. Mushrooming of predatory journals in India is helping in the dissemination of rubbish in the name of science. And a seminar on medical astrology and Ayurveda will be held on February 25 near Palakkad, Kerala.

Medical oncologists of the world step aside, here comes a new breed of medical astrologers who help in accurately predicting who is predisposed to developing cancer.

There are “numerous cancer detection tests used for detecting cancer such as anti-malignin antibody screen test, biological terrain assessment, cancer marker tests, electrodermal screening, maverick monitoring test”. But these tests are non-specific and are not available or are very expensive in underdeveloped and developing countries, claims a Letter to the Editor published in April 2017 in the predatory journal International Journal of Innovative Research in Dental Sciences.

“None of the tests mentioned in the journal is a proven and standard cancer detection test,” says Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi, a cancer specialist at the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.

But the authors, two of whom are doctors — Dr. Narendra Nath Singh, Professor & Head at the Department of Oral Pathology & Microbiology at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi and Dr. Sherin N. from the Department of Oral Pathology & Microbiology, Kothiwal Dental College & Research Centre, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh —  think otherwise.

“In ancient astrological scriptures, there exist various permutations and combinations of planetary positions and their effect in the causation of cancer and other chronic diseases in various body organs,” they write.

The authors first prepared horoscopes of 43 cancer patients from two tertiary cancer treatment centres using date of birth, place of birth and time of birth. The horoscopes were analysed by two medical astrologers who were unaware of the medical condition of the people. “The data that we obtained from our study matched to a high degree with the results of some previous studies done in this arena,” they claim.

They now intend to carry out further studies to confirm the initial results! “Further studies on larger and varied samples from various parts of the globe are desired to authenticate our observations and develop reliable cancer predicting planetary configuration,” they write.

And they intend to match their results with “molecular and genetic assessment of the person in whom planetary positions predict the development of cancer”.

And if found “positive, the analysis of planetary position can replace the expensive investigations and tests being done in order to predict or ascertain cancer development”.

Seminar on medical astrology

Shockingly, the mention of the merits of medical astrology is not confined to a trash letter published in a predatory journal. A seminar on medical astrology and ayurveda will be held on February 25 near Palakkad, Kerala. There will be discussions on how to use astrology for diagnosing TB, cancer, paralysis, psychiatric and cardic problems to name a few. It will help medical astrologers to even chose the best medicines and treatment procedures, is the claim made. The seminar will also help people in understanding how astrology can be used for preventing diseases.

Dr. Vinod Krishnan, an Ayurveda doctor at Amiya Ayurveda Nursing Home about 60 km from Palakkad, who will be speaking in the seminar tells me: “Under certain planetary alignments, a person may feel healthy and at some other alignment he may feel diseased.”

When asked how planetary alignment determines the health condition of a person, he says: “TB bacteria is always present but a person or a group of people become diseased only at certain planetary alignment as seen in one’s horoscope.”

“Astrology can help in selecting medicines to be used for treating a disease.  From a group of medicines, we can choose the correct ones and also know for how long these medicines should be taken by using astrology!” he adds.

“A scan can only say if a person has a disease, but using astrology we can predict what disease one will have 20 years later,” Dr. Krishnan tells with great conviction.

I was so overwhelmed that I decided enough was enough. Of course, I have been invited to his nursing home for more discussion or call him again in case I need more information!