Month: October 2018
My Cancer Free Life: A reality series designed to promote Stanislaw Burzynski’s quackery
Stanislaw Burzynski has been selling a dubious treatment known as antineoplastons to desperate cancer patients since the late 1970s. Unfortunately, there are those who are all too willing to promote the myth of a Brave Maverick Doctor who can cure cancer. Several years ago, it was Eric Merola. Now it's Uchenna Agu, a reality TV star turned producer. He plans on making...
Thermography is Not Approved for Breast Cancer Screening in Canada
Breast cancer thermography is being promoted across Canada as a reliable and effective way of identifying breast tumors. There is no evidence thermography is actually capable of doing so.
Debunking the magical power of the placebo effect for chronic pain (yet again)
The opioid crisis and growing awareness of the dangers of addiction to pain medication are prompting renewed calls for the use of pill placebos in place of active treatments, backed by familiar claims about the magical powers of the placebo.
AAFP Promotes Acupuncture
The AAFP is not following its own standards for CME. Its monograph on Musculoskeletal Therapies devotes 1/4 of its content to acupuncture, dry needling, and cupping; and one of its four "key practice recommendations" is to consider electroacupuncture for fibromyalgia.
Cancer disparities: It’s money that matters (along with a lot of other things)
Cancer is a complex set of diseases. I commonly discuss complexities in its biology and treatment. However, there's another layer of complexity that leads to marked disparities in cancer incidence and death rates. One major factor associated with such disparities is socioeconomic status.
Vigorous Chiropractic Adjustment Associated with Potentially Serious Eye Injury
Can vigorous adjustment of the neck cause direct injury to your eye? Probably, but I don't know. This is based on a single case report. Still, I wouldn't take the chance. And why do I keep mentioning dugongs?
What happened to the Lyme vaccine?
You can vaccinate your dog against Lyme disease, but there's no vaccine for humans. Why?
World Health Organization Endorses Quackery
The World Health Organization fails its primary function by promoting traditional quackery.
More About Flu Vaccine
More evidence that flu shots work, that they are safe during pregnancy, and that they don't cause autism.
A right to science
Unless forced to do so, the state and federal governments will continue to base law and policy on bad science. Maybe it's time for a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a "right to science."