21 posts · 12,412 views

Exploring issues and controversies in the relationship between science and medicine

Peter Lipson
5 posts

SBMBlogger
5 posts

Sort by: Latest Post, Most Popular

View by: Condensed, Full

February 1, 2010
03:01 PM
108 views

Success in the fight against childhood diarrhea

by Peter Lipson in Science-Based Medicine

Rotavirus is the world’s most common cause of severe childhood diarrhea. In the U.S. alone, rotavirus disease leads to around 70,000 hospitalizations, 3/4 million ER visits, and nearly half-a-million doctor office visits yearly. But it rarely causes death.
The same is not true for the developing world. Rotavirus disease is estimated to kill around a half-million [...]... Read more »

Madhi, S., Cunliffe, N., Steele, D., Witte, D., Kirsten, M., Louw, C., Ngwira, B., Victor, J., Gillard, P., Cheuvart, B.... (2010) Effect of Human Rotavirus Vaccine on Severe Diarrhea in African Infants. New England Journal of Medicine, 362(4), 289-298. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa0904797

Richardson, V., Hernandez-Pichardo, J., Quintanar-Solares, M., Esparza-Aguilar, M., Johnson, B., Gomez-Altamirano, C., Parashar, U., & Patel, M. (2010) Effect of Rotavirus Vaccination on Death from Childhood Diarrhea in Mexico. New England Journal of Medicine, 362(4), 299-305. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa0905211

Patel, N., Hertel, P., Estes, M., de la Morena, M., Petru, A., Noroski, L., Revell, P., Hanson, I., Paul, M., Rosenblatt, H.... (2010) Vaccine-Acquired Rotavirus in Infants with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency. New England Journal of Medicine, 362(4), 314-319. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa0904485

Clinical Research

December 21, 2009
03:00 AM
210 views

Radiation from medical imaging and cancer risk

by David Gorski in Science-Based Medicine

Science-based medicine consists of a balancing of risks and benefits for various interventions. This is sometimes a difficult topic for the lay public to understand, and sometimes physicians even forget it. My anecdotal experience suggests that probably surgeons are usually more aware of this basic fact because our interventions generally involve taking sharp objects to [...]... Read more »

Berrington de Gonzalez, A., Mahesh, M., Kim, K., Bhargavan, M., Lewis, R., Mettler, F., & Land, C. (2009) Projected Cancer Risks From Computed Tomographic Scans Performed in the United States in 2007. Archives of Internal Medicine_id, 169(22), 2071-2077. http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/doi/10.1001/archinternmed.2009.440

Smith-Bindman, R., Lipson, J., Marcus, R., Kim, K., Mahesh, M., Gould, R., Berrington de Gonzalez, A., & Miglioretti, D. (2009) Radiation Dose Associated With Common Computed Tomography Examinations and the Associated Lifetime Attributable Risk of Cancer. Archives of Internal Medicine, 169(22), 2078-2086. DOI: 10.1001/archinternmed.2009.427

Redberg RF. (2009) Cancer risks and radiation exposure from computed tomographic scans: how can we be sure that the benefits outweigh the risks?. Archives of internal medicine, 169(22), 2049-50. PMID: 20008685

Brenner DJ, & Hall EJ. (2007) Computed tomography--an increasing source of radiation exposure. The New England journal of medicine, 357(22), 2277-84. PMID: 18046031

December 14, 2009
12:01 AM
165 views

Cell phones and cancer again, or: Oh, no! My cell phone’s going to give me cancer! (revisited)

by David Gorski in Science-Based Medicine

It’s been about a year and a half since I’ve written about this topic; so I thought I’d better update the disclaimer that I wrote at the beginning:
Before I start into the meat of this post, I feel the need to emphasize, as strongly as I can, four things:

I do not receive any funding from [...]... Read more »

Myung, S., Ju, W., McDonnell, D., Lee, Y., Kazinets, G., Cheng, C., & Moskowitz, J. (2009) Mobile Phone Use and Risk of Tumors: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 27(33), 5565-5572. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2008.21.6366

Deltour, I., Johansen, C., Auvinen, A., Feychting, M., Klaeboe, L., & Schuz, J. (2009) Time Trends in Brain Tumor Incidence Rates in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, 1974-2003. JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute. DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djp415

September 24, 2009
03:20 PM
193 views

CAM and Fibromyalgia

by Peter Lipson in Science-Based Medicine

One of the common themes regarding alternative medicine is the reversal of normal scientific thinking. In science, we must generally accept that we will fail to validate many of our hypotheses. Each of these failures moves us closer to the truth. In alternative medicine, hypotheses function more as fixed beliefs, and there [...]... Read more »

Baranowsky, J., Klose, P., Musial, F., Haeuser, W., Dobos, G., & Langhorst, J. (2009) Qualitative systemic review of randomized controlled trials on complementary and alternative medicine treatments in fibromyalgia. Rheumatology International. DOI: 10.1007/s00296-009-0977-5

Clinical Research

August 31, 2009
03:00 AM
488 views

“There must be a reason,” or how we support our own false beliefs

by David Gorski in Science-Based Medicine

For a change of pace, I want to step back from medicine for this post, although, as you will see (I hope), the study I’m going to discuss has a great deal of relevance to the topics covered regularly on this blog. One of the most frustrating aspects of being a skeptic and championing science-based [...]... Read more »

Prasad, M., Perrin, A., Bezila, K., Hoffman, S., Kindleberger, K., Manturuk, K., & Powers, A. (2009) “There Must Be a Reason”: Osama, Saddam, and Inferred Justification. Sociological Inquiry, 79(2), 142-162. DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-682X.2009.00280.x

August 17, 2009
03:00 AM
429 views

Needles in the skin cause changes in the brain, but acupuncture still doesn’t work

by David Gorski in Science-Based Medicine

I don’t recall if I’ve mentioned it on SBM before, but I went to the University of Michigan. In fact, I didn’t go there just for undergraduate studies or medical school, but rather for both, graduating with a B.S. in Chemistry with Honors in 1984 and from medical school in 1988. In my eight years [...]... Read more »

Harris, R., Zubieta, J., Scott, D., Napadow, V., Gracely, R., & Clauw, D. (2009) Traditional Chinese acupuncture and placebo (sham) acupuncture are differentiated by their effects on μ-opioid receptors (MORs). NeuroImage, 47(3), 1077-1085. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.05.083

July 20, 2009
04:00 AM
543 views

Are one in three breast cancers really overdiagnosed and overtreated?

by David Gorski in Science-Based Medicine

Screening for disease is a real pain. I was reminded of this by the publication of a study in BMJ the very day of the Science-Based Medicine Conference a week and a half ago. Unfortunately, between The Amaz!ng Meeting and other activities, I was too busy to give this study the attention it deserved last [...]... Read more »

Jorgensen, K., & Gotzsche, P. (2009) Overdiagnosis in publicly organised mammography screening programmes: systematic review of incidence trends. BMJ, 339(jul09 1). DOI: 10.1136/bmj.b2587

June 30, 2009
03:00 PM
515 views

I get mail–chiroquacktic edition

by Peter Lipson in Science-Based Medicine

A long while back, at the original wordpress incarnation of my usual blog, I wrote a piece on the reasons that chiropractic is unscientific nonsense. Because it was popular, I resurrected it. Well, a chiropractor has come to bravely defend his field and left me a comment.

A study in the May 2007 issue [...]... Read more »

SARNAT, R., WINTERSTEIN, J., & CAMBRON, J. (2007) Clinical Utilization and Cost Outcomes From an Integrative Medicine Independent Physician Association: An Additional 3-Year Update. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 30(4), 263-269. DOI: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2007.03.004

SARNAT, R., & WINTERSTEIN, J. (2004) Clinical and Cost Outcomes of an Integrative Medicine IPA. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 27(5), 336-347. DOI: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2004.04.007

Health

June 9, 2009
03:27 PM
559 views

What is disease? Diabetes, diagnosis, and real science

by Peter Lipson in Science-Based Medicine

One of the concepts we often discuss around here is “what is disease?” As we’ve seen in the discussion of Lyme disease and so-called Morgellons syndrome, this is not always an easy question to answer. Knowing what states are disease states does not always yield a black-or-white answer. The first step is [...]... Read more »

The International Expert Committee. (2009) International Expert Committee Report on the Role of the A1C Assay in the Diagnosis of Diabetes. Diabetes Care. DOI: 10.2337/dc09-9033

Clinical Research

June 8, 2009
01:01 AM
542 views

Applying evolutionary principles to cancer treatment

by David Gorski in Science-Based Medicine

EDITOR’S NOTE: Unfortunately, this weekend, I was forced to get my slides together for the upcoming SBM Conference. What this means is that, alas, I didn’t have any time to prepare one of the new, long posts that you’ve come to love (or hate). Fortunately, there are a lot of other things I’ve written out [...]... Read more »

Gatenby, R., Silva, A., Gillies, R., & Frieden, B. (2009) Adaptive Therapy. Cancer Research, 69(11), 4894-4903. DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-08-3658

April 20, 2009
04:00 AM
584 views

Mathematically modeling why quackery persists

by David Gorski in Science-Based Medicine

It’s often puzzled me (and, I daresay, many other skeptics and boosters of science- and evidence-based medicine) why various forms of quackery and woo that have either about as close to zero prior probability as you can get and/or have failed to show evidence greater than placebo in clinical trials manage to retain so much [...]... Read more »

Tanaka, M., Kendal, J., & Laland, K. (2009) From Traditional Medicine to Witchcraft: Why Medical Treatments Are Not Always Efficacious. PLoS ONE, 4(4). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005192

March 27, 2009
03:03 PM
714 views

The kindest cut?

by Peter Lipson in Science-Based Medicine

The best way to prevent sexually transmitted infections is the proper use of condoms. That being said, it’s not the only way to prevent STI’s. Abstinence is one way, but it involves an amputation of sorts—the removal of a critical human behavior. Another amputation (of sorts) that prevents STIs is circumcision. [...]... Read more »

Aaron A.R. Tobian, M.D., Ph.D., David Serwadda, M.Med., M.P.H., Thomas C. Quinn, M.D., M.Sc., Godfrey Kigozi, M.B., Ch.B., M.P.H., Patti E. Gravitt, Ph.D., Oliver Laeyendecker, M.S., M.B.A., Blake Charvat, M.Sc., Victor Ssempijja, B.Stat., Melissa Riedese. (2009) Male Circumcision for the Prevention of HSV-2 and HPV Infections and Syphilis. The New England Journal of Medicine, 360(13), 1298-1309. DOI: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/360/13/1298

FINK, K., CARSON, C., & DEVELLIS, R. (2002) Adult Circumcision Outcomes Study: Effect on Erectile Function, Penile Sensitivity, Sexual Activity and Satisfaction. The Journal of Urology, 167(5), 2113-2116. DOI: 10.1016/S0022-5347(05)65098-7

March 23, 2009
04:00 AM
630 views

Alternative medicine use and breast cancer

by David Gorski in Science-Based Medicine

Of all the posts I and my cobloggers have written for SBM over the last 15 months, most provoke relatively few comments. However, a few stand out for having provoked hundreds of comments. The very first post that provoked hundreds of comments was Harriet’s excellent discussion of the International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics. In fact, [...]... Read more »

H. J. G. Bloom,, W. W. Richardson, & E. J. Harries. (1962) Natural History of Untreated Breast Cancer (1805-1933). British Medical Journal, 213-221. DOI: PMC1925646

Chang, E., Glissmeyer, M., Tonnes, S., Hudson, T., & Johnson, N. (2006) Outcomes of breast cancer in patients who use alternative therapies as primary treatment. The American Journal of Surgery, 192(4), 471-473. DOI: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2006.05.013

T Risberg, A Vickers, R.M Bremnes, E.A Wist, S Kaasa, & B.R Cassileth. (2003) Does use of alternative medicine predict survival from cancer?. European Journal of Cancer, 39(3), 372-377. DOI: http://www.ejcancer.info/article/S0959-8049(02)00701-3/abstract

Verkooijen, H., Fioretta, G., Rapiti, E., Bonnefoi, H., Vlastos, G., Kurtz, J., Schaefer, P., Sappino, A., Schubert, H., & Bouchardy, C. (2005) Patients' Refusal of Surgery Strongly Impairs Breast Cancer Survival. Annals of Surgery, 242(2), 276-280. DOI: 10.1097/01.sla.0000171305.31703.84

December 1, 2008
03:00 AM
764 views

Do 22% of mammographically detected breast cancers spontaneously regress?

by David Gorski in Science-Based Medicine

It figures.

Last Wednesday, right before the four-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend, as I was far more interested in preparing to have family over the next day than in what was going on in the medical news or the blogs, the results of a most fascinating study hit the news. In Medscape, the title of the news [...]... Read more »

Per-Henrik Zahl, MD, PhD, Jan Mæhlen, MD, PhD, & H. Gilbert Welch, MD, MPH. (2008) The Natural History of Invasive Breast Cancers Detected by Screening Mammography. Archives of Internal Medicine, 168(21), 2311-2316. DOI: http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/168/21/2311

November 17, 2008
03:03 AM
762 views

On the dangers of using valid placebo controls in clinical trials of acupuncture

by David Gorski in Science-Based Medicine

I don’t recall if I’ve ever mentioned this before on this blog, but there was a time when I was less skeptical of acupuncture than I am now. It’s true. Don’t get me wrong, though. I never for a minute considered that the whole rigamarole about “unblocking” or “redirecting” the flow of that mystical life [...]... Read more »

E. W. S. So, E. H. Y. Ng, Y. Y. Wong, E. Y. L. Lau, W. S. B. Yeung, & P. C. Ho. (2008) A randomized double blind comparison of real and placebo acupuncture in IVF treatment. Human Reproduction. DOI: 10.1093/humrep/den380

Clinical Research

October 27, 2008
04:00 AM
813 views

Placebos in the news again

by David Gorski in Science-Based Medicine

Towards the end of last week, I was contemplating what I would be writing about for Monday. No topic had quite floated my boat, but I hated to dip into the archive of topics I’ve written about before to update a post. After all, I like to be topical whenever possible. Then what to my [...]... Read more »

J. C Tilburt, E. J Emanuel, T. J Kaptchuk, F. A Curlin, & F. G Miller. (2008) Prescribing "placebo treatments": results of national survey of US internists and rheumatologists. BMJ, 337(oct23 2). DOI: 10.1136/bmj.a1938

Clinical Research

October 14, 2008
04:00 AM
866 views

Massage for AIDS

by SBMBlogger in Science-Based Medicine

I recently learned of a study entitled “Dominican Children with HIV not Receiving Antiretrovirals: Massage Therapy Influences their Behavior and Development.” It disturbed me, and I couldn’t get it out of my head. They’re massaging these kids but letting them die of AIDS? I went back and read the complete article, and it left me [...]... Read more »

M. Hernandez-Reif, G. Shor-Posner, J. Baez, S. Soto, R. Mendoza, R. Castillo, N. Quintero, E. Perez, & G. Zhang. (2006) Dominican Children with HIV not Receiving Antiretrovirals: Massage Therapy Influences their Behavior and Development. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 5(3), 345-354. DOI: 10.1093/ecam/nem032

October 13, 2008
01:01 AM
899 views

Fun with homeopaths and meta-analyses of homeopathy trials

by SBMBlogger in Science-Based Medicine

Homeopathy amuses me.

Well, actually it both amuses me and appalls me. The amusement comes from just how utterly ridiculous the concepts between homeopathy are. Think about it. It is nothing but pure magical thinking. Indeed, at the very core of homeopathy is a concept that can only be considered to be magic. In homeopathy, the [...]... Read more »

A SHANG, K HUWILERMUNTENER, L NARTEY, P JUNI, S DORIG, J STERNE, D PEWSNER, & M EGGER. (2005) Are the clinical effects of homoeopathy placebo effects? Comparative study of placebo-controlled trials of homoeopathy and allopathy. The Lancet, 366(9487), 726-732. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67177-2

R LUDTKE, & A RUTTEN. (2008) The conclusions on the effectiveness of homeopathy highly depend on the set of analyzed trials. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2008.06.015

September 23, 2008
08:00 AM
984 views

FDA approval of drugs and transparency in clinical trial results

by SBMBlogger in Science-Based Medicine

Note: The reason that I am posting today rather than my usual Monday slot is because the article I discuss here was embargoed until last night. Consequently, I asked Harriet if she would trade days with me this week, and she was kind enough to do so.

One thing that science relies on almost absolutely is [...]... Read more »

Kirby Lee, Peter Bacchetti, Ida Sim, & Mike Clarke. (2008) Publication of Clinical Trials Supporting Successful New Drug Applications: A Literature Analysis. PLoS Medicine, 5(9). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0050191

PLoS Editors. (2008) Next Stop, Don't Block the Doors: Opening Up Access to Clinical Trials Results. PLoS Medicine, 5(7). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0050160

login

Science-Based Medicine

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

search

topics

dates

View

Language

Languages to Display

join us!

News