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.
Category: Cancer
Can CAM help alleviate musculoskeletal symptoms in breast cancer patients from aromatase inhibitors like letrozole?
Letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, is commonly used to treat hormone-responsive breast cancer, but produces troubling side effects. Can CAM relieve the side effects associated with its use?
The “Cancer Truther” movement
Denial of the benefits of chemotherapy is very prevalent in “natural health” movements. This denial is based on fear mongering, pseudoscience, and conspiracy theories and thus shares many similarities with the antivaccine movement. How can the "chemo truth" spread by “cancer truthers”?
dōTERRA Center for Integrative Oncology: St. Elizabeth Healthcare sells out to an MLM company hawking essential oils
St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Cincinnati recently accepted $5 million from dōTERRA, an MLM company selling essential oils based on dubious claims. This is most definitely not a good look.
Mortality from cancer continues to decline, contrary to the claims of quacks
Recently published 2020 American Cancer Society statistics show that overall cancer mortality continues to decline. In fact, it's declining faster than ever, thanks to science-based medicine and public health.
What causes ALL? An antivaxxer says—surprise!—it’s vaccines
What causes ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia)? To antivaxxer John Jones, the answer is obvious: vaccines!
Acupuncture for xerostomia: Spin, spin, spin a negative study!
Investigators at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center reported the results of a trial of acupuncture for xerostomia (dry mouth) secondary to radiation therapy for head and neck cancers. It was a negative trial, but investigators still tried to spin it as positive, but with a twist. There was a large difference between results found at M.D. Anderson and the second site in China. What could be going on?
Clínica 0-19 and IDOI: Not making DIPG history in Monterrey, part 5, IDOI-1
Drs. Alberto Siller and Alberto Garcia are at it again at Clínica 0-19, peddling a dubious case series touting their DIPG treatment. Let's just say that it does not demonstrate that their treatment is better than existing treatments; i.e., not very good.
Toni Bark has cancer
Toni Bark is an antivax physician. Recently, she announced that she has cancer. She is also expressing amazement that she could get it, given her supposedly incredibly healthy lifestyle.
A tourist finds breast cancer after a thermal scan at Camera Obscura. That doesn’t mean thermography works.
Bal Gill saw a hot spot on her breast on a thermal image she had taken at Camera Obscura in Edinburgh. This led her to see her doctor, who diagnosed breast cancer. Although a happy coincidence, this incident does not mean that thermography is an effective modality to detect occult breast cancer.