All that recent cancer news buzz

[Guest guest]

(commentary from redflagsdaily.com)

 

Why A Prominent Health Website Needs Fumigation To Rid Itself Of Hype 'Bugs'

 

This latest offering [

webmd.com/content/article/88/99967.htm?z=1728_00000_1000_1n_05

]on new cancer drugs from WebMDHealth is an insult to our intelligence. The

first paragraph informs us that " cancer researchers from around the world

are buzzing about studies on new cancer treatments that are expected to

make future cancer report cards better than ever. " There may be a buzz -

because one should never underestimate the hype that cancer researchers

spew out, year after year - but the reporting on the latest conference in

New Orleans where this " buzz " presumably originated is shabby and misleading.

 

The second paragraph of the story acknowledges that there were no miracle

drugs at this year's meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology

(ASCO), but it does goes on to suggest that many reports were truly

important findings. Important for whom? The drug companies that were

mounting campaigns for investors?

 

Here is a recent commentary by Ralph Moss that offers some perspective.

Moss also attended the recent meeting in New Orleans and had this to say in

his latest newsletter, It should be posted shortly at Cancerdecisions.

[Note: Frank just posted the newsletter to alternative_medicine_forum today

a few messages back]

 

" " The majority of presentations at ASCO still concern cytotoxic

chemotherapy, but the new twist is to add 'targeted‘ drugs, such as Iressa

and Erbitux, to the mix. The existence of these new targeted drugs does

raise some interesting possibilities, but one shouldn't put all one's eggs

in one basket. The typical treatment protocol used to be based on the

question ‘What happens if we add drug A to conventional drugs B and C?' Now

the question has become, 'What happens if we add targeted agent A to

conventional drugs B, C and D?' The differences in outcome are tiny.

Meanwhile, the combinations become more complicated and much more expensive

— too expensive, the New York Times even suggested, for society ultimately

to bear. " "

 

Unfortunately, the drugs " buzz " generated by press releases and press

conferences these days touches every part of medicine and websites such as

WebMDHealth seem only too willing to spread it around.