Biology in the News Explained

Electronic medical records fall short

Why is it so hard for patients to obtain and disseminate copies of their own medical records?

Why chemotherapy doesn’t work

The chemotherapy madness will only stop when doctors and patients admit up front that chemo doesn't work. These are the main reasons why.

Chemotherapy does not, and will never, cure cancer

The clinical oncological community is in collective, utter denial about the uselessness of chemotherapy as a cancer treatment.

Routine mammograms continue to harm many and help few

Breast cancer screening will continue to be a lottery system for institutionalized torture until we spend some money and effort figuring out who actually needs to be treated and how. Why are the loudest voices arguing over screening instead of trying to fix the real underlying problem?

The lesson for all cancer treatment that we should learn from ocular melanoma

It is way past time for cancer patients to have their own cancer cells tested to see which chemotherapy, if any, will actually work.

A tale of two lifestyles, sustainable vs. self-destructive

Will the U.S. get back to solving real problems in time to avert misery for its population? Europe can help show us the way if we do.

Will we finally dump chemotherapy in favor of immune-system-based cancer treatments?

Targeted cancer therapies are finally getting some of the attention they deserve, now that it's becoming clear that chemotherapy is a barbaric dead-end for most people.

How are cancer deaths defined?

Cancer death statistics could actually be useful in fighting cancer, rather than just for propaganda, if they were true. But they aren't.

Evidence-based medicine includes listening to the patient

We explain "evidence-based medicine," and what you should understand about it before you discuss treatment options with a doctor.

Does coffee prevent prostate cancer?

Overall, it's looking good for coffee-drinkers and cancer risk. Just remember there are a lot more variables in the equation that we do not yet understand.

Torn: The “Conflict of Modern Motherhood” is all about guilt

A review of the book “Torn: True Stories of Kids, Career & the Conflict of Modern Motherhood”, edited by Samantha Parent Walravens (May, 2011).

Axillary lymph node dissection will hopefully soon be a thing of the past

If your cancer surgeon tells you that you need axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) after finding a positive sentinel lymph node, you should make him or her justify that decision. A recent study shows that many women do not need this further surgery.