I am very very pleased to say that Lord Smith, as Chair of the ASA, responded remarkably quickly to an email I sent raising concerns with their policy. Previously, in ‘informally resolved’ complaints, the ASA has asked complainants to treat the judgement in confidence. I was unhappy; this seems to protect the company, not the […]
Continue Reading →A reading list for media doctors who would like to know more about screening.
How to Read a Paper by Trisha Greenhalgh Much is in the BMJ, if you already subscribe. Screening; evidence and practice. Muir Gray and Angela Raffle. Testing Treatments, also from Pinter and Martin, and available freely online here. Overdiagnosed, by Welch, Schwartz and Woloshin. Fooled by Randomness, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. The Tyranny of Health, […]
Continue Reading →The 3 week cough campaign
and my concerns about it’s effectiveness and potential harms. References here. 1) http://www.3weekcough.org/whattodo.html 2) Lung C ancer Awareness Campaign Cluster Briefing Slide Pack, 2/4/12, DoH 3) http://thorax.bmj.com/content/67/5/412.long 4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1747254/pdf/v060p01059.pdf 5) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1747254/pdf/v060p01059.pdf 6) http://thorax.bmj.com/content/61/11/975.abstract 7) http://thorax.bmj.com/content/61/11/975.abstract 8) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16882373
Continue Reading →Self checking via Embarrassing Bodies
I’ve just watched an episode of this Channel 4 programme. Who can forget Dr Chris Steele doing the ‘first’ (!) testicular check on TV. And now we have had the Embarrassing Bodies, the Channel 4 programme, providing us with more of the same. It’s very tempting to think that more ‘awareness’ is always good for […]
Continue Reading →Fish oils for mental illness: don’t waste your money.
And more than that, concentrate efforts on things that are more likely to help now and in the future. I’m disturbed by the idea that fish oils are a good idea for ‘depression to schizophrenia’ as evidenced by this article. There are several reasonable theories as to why fish oils might help mental health, but the […]
Continue Reading →minor success
Sanctus clinics Edinburgh are no longer offering non evidence based ‘breast checks’ and Champneys are no longer offering non evidence based ovarian cancer screening. It would be very good if Champneys would now get rid of the rest of their enormous lot of non evidence based screening tests. There are loads. Do let me know, […]
Continue Reading →BMJ – that breast cancer blood test story
…is analysed here. (free link) There is also a piece about Breastlight at Pulse (free with free registration.) and here’s the link to today’s ASA page where PWB health, who make Breastlight,feature. feature. Their website doesn’t say ‘detects cancer early’ anymore. But I’m still not happy.
Continue Reading →What does “for earlier detection” mean?
It’s used here, on Breastlight’s home page. If you search for them on Google, it comes up; “Breastlight TM; breast exam, breast checking, breast screening..” I’d like to know what kinds of things come to mind when we are told this device is for ‘earlier detection’. ( I know what I think, but […]
Continue Reading →The Advertising Standards Authority – fit for purpose?
I’ve just had a complaint responded to. The company concerned will now apparently withdraw their non evidenced based claim that their product “helps detect cancer early”. This claim has been made for some time, it’s nonsense, and it’s right that it goes. But: the letter from the ASA says that since the company will voluntarily amend their […]
Continue Reading →DCIS, overtreatment and professionalism
There’s an article in the Guardian describing the US treatment of a woman who had DCIS diagnosed at screening, in one breast. She went on to have bilateral mastectomy, with flap reconstruction, an autologous blood transfusion, and a stay in ITU. The author writes ” It is so confusing. What was that all about? Cancer? […]
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