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Dr John Richardson received a Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and after completing an internship in the New York area he was certified to practice medicine in California in 1954.

 He became interested in Laetrile in the early 1970’s during the height of the controversy between the authorities on one hand and medical practitioners advocating its use on the other. His book that he co wrote with Patricia Griffin, “Laetrile Case Histories”, documents his struggle against the various attempts to hinder his practice including litigation that was commenced against him.

 He established the Richardson Clinic in California using a metabolic approach which incorporated diet, Laetrile injections or tablets, pancreatic enzymes and various supplements. The clinic eventually treated approximately four thousand cancer patients.

 The book presents a sample of 62 patients who were included if there was a written diagnosis of cancer from another source, the clinic was able to remain in contact with them, and they were willing to have their case histories reported. Thirty three were followed up after 27 years for the purpose of the most recent edition of the book.

 Of the 33 patients who were followed up after 27 years it is interesting to note that 11 had initially been classified by other physicians as terminal.

 A 75 year old woman had previously had a long history of good health when she was diagnosed with cancer of the rectum As she was recovering from the biopsy to confirm the cancer she overheard a doctor saying she was “too old to bother salvaging”. She commenced metabolic therapy in 1975 and after two years was symptom free and in excellent health.

 Lest anyone think she may have imagined the comment she claims to have overheard a referral letter from one physician to another included that radiation treatment and surgery might be considered, “…although mortalities in her age group barely make it pay in terms of salvage.”

 A 61 year old man was told in 1973 that he had inoperable cancer of the prostate and he was given about a year to live. Initially he was too ill to drive himself to the clinic. He commenced laetrile injections and after 30 days was able to drive his car himself. An extensive interview after 3 years showed that he was symptom free and he showed scratches on his arm he got from chopping wood in his back yard. An internet search revealed he died in 1986 aged 74 and the cause of death is unknown to the authors.

 A 62 year old man was diagnosed with prostate cancer and was told he would not live long if he did not agree to surgery or radiation. The only treatment he undertook was metabolic therapy involving laetrile. In 1976 he was still working on his farm some 8 years after being told he only had months to live. He died in 1998 aged 92 and the cause of death is unknown to the authors.

 A 61 year old woman had her uterus, both fallopian tubes and both ovaries removed following a diagnosis of cancer of the ovary. She was told that without radiation or chemotherapy she would have no more than a year to live. She commenced metabolic therapy instead and after two years was enjoying good health and leading a normal life. An internet search revealed she died in 1997 aged 83. The cause of death is unknown to the authors.