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Cancer Clinical trials Science Skepticism/critical thinking

Precision medicine: Hype over hope?

I am fortunate to have become a physician in a time of great scientific progress. Back when I was in college and medical school, the thought that we would one day be able to sequence the human genome (and now sequence hundreds of cancer genomes), to measure the expression of every gene in the genome […]

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Antivaccine nonsense Autism Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine

Dr. Bob lets his antivaccine freak flag fly

It’s not a secret to anyone who reads this blog that I have an incredibly low opinion of celebrity pediatricians who are, if not outright antivaccine, antivaccine-sympathetic or leaning antivaccine and use their authority as physicians to sow fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) about vaccines. Without a doubt, chief among these pediatricians in this country […]

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Cancer Complementary and alternative medicine Homeopathy Medicine Naturopathy Quackery

A commercial for acupuncture masquerading as news

I didn’t think I’d be writing about acupuncture again so soon after deconstructing another “bait and switch” acupuncture study less than a week ago. True, the quackery that is acupuncture and the seemingly unending varieties of low quality studies published to make it seem as though there is anything more than nonspecific placebo effects invoked […]

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Autism Medicine Politics Quackery

Evidence prevails: No medical marijuana for autism in Michigan—for now

Advocates have been trying to persuade Michigan to add autism to the list of conditions for which medical marijuana can be prescribed. Fortunately, this time at least, Michigan saw through their dubious arguments.

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Clinical trials Medicine

Acupuncture bait and switch: Electrified hot flash edition

It’s always disappointing to see a good journal fall for bad medicine, particularly when it’s in your field. For example, the Journal of Clinical Oncology (affectionately referred to by its abbreviation JCO) is the official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and probably the most read clinical journal by those involved in […]