Alternative Medicine: Harmless Or Deadly?

A cancer diagnosis is an awful thing. Cancer isn’t simply devastating news for the patient – its consequences ripple through groups of family and friends spreading fear and uncertainty of what the future will bring. While cancer research and treatment has come a huge way since the earlier part of this century, many types of … Read more

5 Dangerous Cancer Myths

One of the most interesting aspects of the “Age Of Misinformation” is the flourishing of thousands of medical myths. These are usually propagated by people who are not qualified medical professionals or scientists, who peddle misinterpreted or flat-out incorrect information to the Internet masses. Whether these myths are started to sell products or in good … Read more

Does Curry Cure Cancer?

Recent attention-grabbing headlines have been suggesting that curry powder – and in particular one of its most prominent ingredients, turmeric – are the newest and most exciting trend in curing cancer. Most of the hype has been due to the publication of a case report published in the British Medical Journal illustrating the case of a … Read more

Does chemo make cancer worse?

The most exciting science headlines of the week were undoubtedly based on an exciting new study published in Science Translational Medicine showing that chemotherapy can promote breast cancer metastasis. Media coverage on the subject has varied from highly sensationalist to more sensible – and for once, the panic-striken ALL CAPITALS approach doesn’t seem like it’s out of place. … Read more

Is Shampoo Dangerous?

As a scientist, it is part of my job to keep tabs on new scientific discoveries and recent publications. It was in this context that I recently ran into a fascinating paper by researchers at the University Of Cambridge looking into how formaldehyde (a known carcinogen) selectively destroys BRCA2 – a protein in the cell … Read more

Can Yoga Reduce Your Risk Of Cancer?

Those reading some of the major newspapers looking for health and science news will have stumbled onto some extraordinary claims over the past week. Apparently, the latest saving grace from the looming threat of cancer is, that’s right, yoga. As always, the Daily Mail’s headline is especially interesting: Yoga and meditation reduce the risk of … Read more