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Cancer Clinical trials Medicine Religion

Religion and end-of-life care

Given that I’m the proverbial lapsed Catholic cum agnostic, religion just doesn’t play that large a role in my life and hasn’t since around six years ago. I don’t know if I’ll ever discuss or explain on this blog what the last straw resulting in that transformation was (it’s too personal), but a couple of […]

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Cancer Clinical trials Medicine

Clinical trials: Where the rubber hits the road for science-based medicine

Until recently, most of my research was laboratory-based. It included cell culture, biochemical assays, molecular biology, and experiments using mouse tumor models. However, one of the reasons that I got both an MD and a PhD was so that I could ultimately test ideas for new treatments on patients and, if I’m good enough and […]

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Cancer Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Quackery

When burning woo produces deceptive testimonials

PZ’s muscling in on my territory. Apparently, ruling the Darwinian, creationist-destroying atheist cephalopod blogging world isn’t enough, and he has to start moving in on medicine. No problem, given that this time around he brought some rather interesting woo to my attention, suggesting it as perhaps a suitable topic for Your Friday Dose of Woo […]

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Cancer Medicine Science Skepticism/critical thinking

Animal rights activists: Even death doesn’t sway them

I have two brief observations to make before I launch into my latest bit of insolence. First off, it figures that, whenever I go away to a meeting, there’s simply an embarrassment of blogging riches. People have been sending me stuff to which, even if I were at home and having a slow week, I […]

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Cancer Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Politics Quackery

Dr. Dean Ornish: Turn away from the Dark Side! It’s not too late!

I realize I’ve said it before, but I still can’t believe as many people read what I like to lay down on a daily basis right here on this blog. Believe me, it has nothing to do with an sort of false sense of modesty. After four years at this, I know I’m good at […]