Tag: cancer

Poor Science Reporting and Premature Enthusiasm
Press releases often outpace the data. Here are some examples of over-enthusiastic reporting on extremely preliminary research.

We are not “losing the war on cancer” (belated 2021 edition)
The narrative we hear time and time again is that we are "losing the war on cancer". The latest cancer statistics show that this narrative is not true.

Artificial Sweeteners – A Free Lunch, or an Obesogenic Carcinogen? What 80+ Studies Say (part 2 of 2)
In the second and final chapter of this two part series, I conclude my exploration of the impact of artificial sweeteners on obesity, diabetes, the gut microbiome, and cancer.

A Worthless Acupuncture Study in Cancer Patients
This study does not test the efficacy of acupuncture and was never designed to do so.

Consumer and public health groups push for cancer warning on alcoholic beverages
A coalition of consumer and public health groups, citing scientific consensus, is pushing for a government-required warning that alcohol consumption causes cancer on alcoholic beverage containers. Despite the evidence, we can expect alcohol industry opposition.

All science denial is a form of conspiracy theory
Regular readers of this blog know that many forms of quackery and science denial have conspiracy theories associated with them, but a further examination suggests that all forms of science denial are a form of conspiracy theory. In the middle of a deadly pandemic, science denial represents a form of conspiracy theory with potentially deadly consequences.

The confluence of antivaccine beliefs and conspiracy theories in COVID-19 denial
It surprised some people that after the COVID-19 pandemic hit our shores antivaxxers so quickly joined forces with COVID-19 conspiracy theorists. It shouldn't have been a surprise. Antivaxxer beliefs are themselves rooted deep in conspiracy theories.

Monsanto gets injunction against California’s mandated cancer warning for glyphosate
A federal district court permanently enjoined California from requiring a cancer warning for glyphosate on First Amendment grounds. The battle between the law and science continues.

Milk and Health: The Evidence
A useful review of all the current evidence about milk and health provides a lot of surprises. It shows that current recommendations are flawed and that much of what we have believed is wrong.

Genetics and evolution in cancer
Several new studies were published earlier this month describing the sequencing of over 2,600 cancer genomes. What the results show include what sorts of mutations drive cancer development and how evolution makes cancers so difficult to treat.