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Antivaccine nonsense Autism Bad science Medicine Politics Quackery

Antivaccine legislator Sen. Paul Boyer is doing his best to make measles great again in Arizona

Arizona state Senator Paul Boyer introduced a bill that would “make measles great again” under the guise of “informed consent.” It is in reality “misinformed consent.” Isn’t it great to have antivaxers trying to inflict disease on children?

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Cancer Complementary and alternative medicine Integrative medicine Medicine Quackery

Trojan horse: Selling “integrative oncology” as science-based

Integrative oncology “integrates” quackery with oncology. Its practitioners, however, frequently delude themselves that their specialty is science-based. A recent review article by two integrative oncologists from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center expresses that delusion perfectly.

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Cancer Integrative medicine Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery

The Integrative Oncology Scholars Program: Indoctrinating oncology professionals into pseudoscience

“Integrative oncology” involves “integrating” pseudoscience, mysticism, and quackery with science-based oncology and co-opting science-based lifestyle modalities as “alternative” in order to provide cover for the quackery. Unfortunately, my alma mater, funded by the National Cancer Institute, is running a course to indoctrinate 100 health care professionals in the ways of “integrative oncology.” The Trojan horse of “lifestyle interventions” and “nonpharmacologic treatments for pain” is at the gates. The quackery will leap out as soon as it’s in the fortress.

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Autism Homeopathy Medicine Naturopathy Quackery

Anke Zimmermann: Neonatal vitamin K shots cause behavioral problems that need to be treated with… homeopathic vitamin K!

Anke Zimmermann is a naturopath in Canada who treats autism who’s quackier than the usual naturopath. When last we saw her, she was using homeopathic rabid dog saliva to treat a fear of werewolves. This time around, she presents a “case report” in which she spent two and a half years treating a cranky child with various homeopathic remedies and concluded that her problems were due to the neonatal vitamin K shot. Naturally, that means to her, like any good homeopath, that the correct treatment is vitamin K diluted away to nothing.

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Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Cancer Homeopathy Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

Orac basks in the adoration of Gary Null (revised and greatly expanded)

Orac loves to bask in the adulation of his “fans.” This time around, one of the “grand old men” of quackery, Gary Null, has decided that he really, really doesn’t like science-based medicine. Orac was sufficiently amused to revise, update, and expand his previous post providing Null with some not-so-Respectful Insolence.