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Clinical trials Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Quackery

The director of NCCAM discovers Bayesian probability. Hilarity ensues.

Over the years, the criticism of “evidence-based medicine” (EBM) that I have repeated here and that I and others have repeated at my not-so-super-secret other blog is that its levels of evidence relegate basic science considerations to the lowest level evidence and elevate randomized clinical trial evidence to the highest rung, in essence fetishizing it […]

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Clinical trials Medicine Science

Data sharing is always good, right? Well, not quite…

Rare is the occasion when I disagree significantly with my collaborator Steve Novella, but this is one of those times. It’s a measure of how much we agree on most things that, even in this case, I don’t completely disagree with him. But, hey, it happens. I’m referring to Steve’s post yesterday in which he […]

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Cancer Clinical trials Medicine

The Canadian Breast Screening Study attacked: Why do doctors have such a hard time with the concept of overdiagnosis?

The last couple of weeks, I’ve made allusions to the “Bat Signal” (or, as I called it, the “Cancer Signal,” although that’s a horrible name and I need to think of a better one). Basically, when Bat Cancer Signal goes up (hey, I like that one better, but do bats get cancer?), it means that […]

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Cancer Clinical trials Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Music Politics Popular culture

Stanislaw Burzynski and the cynical use of cancer patients as shields and weapons against the FDA, this time with rock stars

I don’t know if it’s a sign that I’ve arrived as being a bit more influential than just a blogger or just dumb luck when reporters start sending me things, but I’ll take it. It’s like blog fodder being served to me on the proverbial silver platter. Unfortunately, as a result of receiving a press […]

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Cancer Clinical trials Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Skepticism/critical thinking

Vitamin C for cancer: Trying to rise from the grave once again

There are certain things that can happen that are the equivalent of the Bat Signal to me; that is, if you can swallow the idea of me being in any way like Bruce Wayne. Call them the Cancer Signal, if you will. When I see the Cancer Signal, I know that I have to head […]