Quote:
Originally posted by RACooper
From what little I understand of the tests done so far, he has tested positive for blood doping - however they must confirm these results in three seperate labs for the results to be conclusive.
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There are multiple problems with this - first is the fact that he was administered the drug (and precursors) during chemo, if reports are correct, and the effect of the drug may last beyond its administration period. Second is that ethryropoietin exists naturally within the body, and heightened levels can come from many sources - the levels were not reported by any reputable agency that I can find, and as such there is realistic doubt cast, from the opportunity that heightened figures could have come from other sources.
The sample has been passed to the WADA, although they're not sure whether or not they will even test them, due to the fact that samples older than 3-5 years may not be stable, as well as some other (primarily political) factors. That would be more definitive, for sure.
I do agree with the rest of your post, particularly the fact about this not being a negative toward cancer survivors. I do however think that you're thinking a little inside the box, to use a horrific phrase, and ignoring some significant issues related to these tests (and the tabloid nature of some of the reporting).