STATE BOARD ORDERS DOCTOR'S PROBATION

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 13, 1993                   TAG: 9301130254
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NORFOLK                                LENGTH: Short
STATE BOARD ORDERS DOCTOR'S PROBATION
A doctor whose cancer treatments included vaccines made from patients' urine and feces was put on indefinite probation Tuesday by the Virginia Board of Medicine.
Dr. Vincent J. Speckhart, a Norfolk oncologist, did not admit to any violations but agreed to the stipulations so he could conclude the matter as soon as possible, said Wayne Farrar, a board spokesman.
A three-member committee of the board reached the agreement with Speckhart after two days of questioning and five hours of deliberation.
One of the conditions of Speckhart's probation is that he will no longer use vaccines made from patients' blood, feces or urine. The board found he had stopped using these for most patients about two years ago, Farrar said.
Speckhart also agreed to stop using an electro-acupuncture machine in diagnosing most patients. He is to revise forms he gives his patients to make it clear that the effectiveness of electro-acupuncture has not been scientifically established, Farrar said.
Speckhart agreed to have his standard practice audited by a panel of doctors in one year and to appear again before a committee of the board after that to review the audit results.
In the interim, Farrar said, "We do have a probation division in the department, and I presume they could at least make periodic checks to make sure the provisions of the probation are being complied with."
Speckhart had told the board he used the techniques to support conventional cancer treatment, not to replace it.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB