The All Trials dilemma | WWDDTYDTY

WDDTY has a dilemma.

On the one hand, Ben Goldacre‘s book Bad Pharma is, on the face of it, a gift to quacks, shining a light on chronic abuse of the clinical trials system by Big Pharma – and the All Trials initiative is a public campaign that is likely to effect material change.

On the other, WDDTY is part of the world characterised by Wally Sampson as “sectarian medicine”, where taking sides is the thing that matters most. Sectarianism is why quacks support each other even when their ideas are mutually exclusive. WDDTY cannot promote Bad Pharma or support All Trials, because Ben Goldacre is one of the most effective critics of quackery today, and All Trials is promoted by Sense About Science.

As in politics: the mere fact of having been suggested by the “opposition” makes it ideologically impossible to get behind an idea, no matter how transparently sensible and correct it is.

Continue reading: The All Trials dilemma | WWDDTYDTY

How to build a body of misleading pseudo-evidence for bogus treatments and mislead us all | Edzard Ernst

Because this sort of thing can't be said often enough.

Some sceptics are convinced that, in alternative medicine, there is no evidence. This assumption is wrong, I am afraid, and statements of this nature can actually play into the hands of apologists of bogus treatments: they can then easily demonstrate the sceptics to be mistaken or “biased”, as they would probably say. The truth is that there is plenty of evidence – and lots of it is positive, at least at first glance.

Alternative medicine researchers have been very industrious during the last two decades to build up a sizable body of ‘evidence’. Consequently, one often finds data even for the most bizarre and implausible treatments. Take, for instance, the claim that homeopathy is an effective treatment for cancer. Those who promote this assumption have no difficulties in locating some weird in-vitro study that seems to support their opinion. When sceptics subsequently counter that in-vitro experiments tell us nothing about the clinical situation, apologists quickly unearth what they consider to be sound clinical evidence.

Read the rest here: How to build a body of misleading pseudo-evidence for bogus treatments and mislead us all | Edzard Ernst.

Encyclopedia of American Loons: #783: Suzanne Humphries

Suzanne Humphries is a nephrologist turned vocal proponent of pseudoscience, woo, and worse. She has been involved with the International Medical Council on Vaccination, a front group for anti-vaccinationism, and has written several blog posts and done several podcasts and interviews (e.g. for NaturalNews) insinuating that kidney failure is caused by vaccines...

Full lunacy here: Encyclopedia of American Loons: #783: Suzanne Humphries

Encyclopedia of American Loons: #780: Arianna Huffington

Arianna Huffington is – as most of you know – the socialite founder of Huffington Post. Despite other potential virtues, the Huffington Post’s attitude to science, especially in their health and well-being sections, is more than questionable; indeed, Huffpo is an abysmally shameless pusher of pseudoscience and woo, including anti-vaccinationism, Deepak Chopra-style altmed garbage; and self-help articles most of all reminiscent of The Secret....

Full lunacy here: Encyclopedia of American Loons: #780: Arianna Huffington

Encyclopedia of American Loons: #775: Steve Hotze

Steve Hotze is a wingnut crackpot who runs a big, lucrative practice in suburban Houston focused on “nontraditional therapies” and treatments for allergies, thyroid problems and yeast infections. He is particularly known for promoting natural progesterone replacement therapy for women, a treatment that can hardly be said to be particularly science-based. He also runs a daily health and wellness show that airs on Sen. Dan Patrick’s Houston radio station, KSEV. Quackwatch has taken due note of him, though...

Full horrific details here: Encyclopedia of American Loons: #775: Steve Hotze

Encyclopedia of American Loons: #697: Charlotte Gerson

Gerson therapy is a treatment regimen of which it is claimed that it is able to cure even severe cases of cancer through a special diet, coffee enemas, and various supplements. It does, of course, not cure cancer, but Charlotte Gerson – the current main promoter – has anecdotes! The treatments is named after the German crank Max Gerson. Charlotte is his daughter....

Encyclopedia of American Loons: #697: Charlotte Gerson

Harpocrates Speaks: Mark Geier: Not a Leg to Stand On

Poor, poor Mark Geier. For those who don't know, Dr. Mark Geier is half of the father-son team that developed the "Lupron Protocol" for treating autism. Put simply, Geier and his son came up with the scientifically unsupported idea that testosterone and mercury bind together in humans, allegedly causing autism. His treatment for this involves dosing children with leuprolide, followed by chelation. Leuprolide (also known by the brand name Lupron) is legitimately used for treatment of precocious puberty and as part of IVF treatment. It is also used off-label to chemically castrate sex offenders...

Read more: Harpocrates Speaks: Mark Geier: Not a Leg to Stand On

Book Review: Everything You Need To Know To Help You Beat Cancer by Chris Woollams | Josephine Jones

This is billed as the most comprehensive anti-cancer book available, published by CANCERactive, a UK Registered Charity founded by the author, Chris Woollams. Their agreed aims are to inform and support cancer patients and to provide research into treatments...

Read the rest: Book Review: Everything You Need To Know To Help You Beat Cancer by Chris Woollams | Josephine Jones

Patent Medicines and Alternative Medicine I: The Dawn of Patent Medicines | Steelclaws on Snake Oil

Patent medicines or nostrums were originally so named in the 17th century because those finding favour with the reigning monarch were given letters patent, which authorised the use of the royal endorsement in their advertising. It does not have anything to do with the modern concept of patenting. Indeed, throughout their history, most were not patented but trademarked instead, as patenting would have forced them to disclose the formula – something quite a few of them desperately wanted to avoid.

During the 18th century medicine was in flux. Old ideas – Galen and the Hippocratic tradition – were slowly on their way of being phased out as doctors influenced by Enlightenment sought to make medicine into a science, although it would take a very long time before medicine truly could be called scientific. At the same time, increased access to exotic plants brought to Europe during the Age of Exploration encouraged experimentation. People speculated freely on diseases, how best to treat them and systematise medicine. In addition to scientific progress – though slow – the 18th century gave rise to quackery on an unprecedented scale, some of which survives to this day, homeopathy being the most famous and widespread example....

Read more here: Patent Medicines and Alternative Medicine I: The Dawn of Patent Medicines | Steelclaws on Snake Oil

HIV/AIDS, and recognition of some of the worst “Science” I have ever unfortunately laid my weary eyes on.

After last week’s battle with a group of HIV and AIDS denialists, I thought this would be the opportune moment to pick apart this prime example of not only bad science, but downright dangerous and hypocritical cult, umlingo wamaNgcolosi.

I think it is necessary to first give a little background on HIV and AIDS for those who don’t know a lot about it, if you’re not interested or already have an adequate understanding skip this section. This is the first article I have written that I am actually a semi-expert on (or so I like to think!); you may or may not know that HIV is my research specialism, so I welcome any questions you may have on this topic and will attempt to answer them as best I can. I do not like to pass judgement on other people’s personal beliefs, funnily enough, however, when they have the potential to harm others then I have no qualms in absolutely tearing them to pieces for the benefit of others who may be on the fence...

Read the full post: HIV/AIDS, and recognition of some of the worst “Science” I have ever unfortunately laid my weary eyes on.

Encyclopedia of American Loons: #318: David J. Pesek (and the “Quantum University”)

David Pesek is a rather infamous woo practitioner who panders the most ridiculous treatments. He has a “clinical practice in nutrition, tissue cleansing programs and psychology utilizing iridology”, and is the director of the International Institute of Iridology, the president of the American College of Iridology, and board advisor for the International College of Iridology. It is a little unclear what the difference between iridology and “holistic iridology” amounts to, but I suppose “psychology utilizing iridology” may give you a clue. It sounds not so much like phrenology as it does palm reading with the help of crystal balls...

Read on for more balls: Encyclopedia of American Loons: #318: David J. Pesek (and the “Quantum University”)

Homeopathy FAQ | Plague of Mice

A little light relief today. I found a homeopathy website daft enough to put up a FAQ and thought I'd give them a hand by proofreading and correcting the answers, which I have shortened to the most relevant paragraph in each case, or we'd be here all bloody week. The thick layer of misleading, or downright false, statements laced with pseudoscientific WTF is fairly typical of what you'll find all over the Internet. This bunch are in Canada (see end of article for link) and I have no idea if they have the right to call their products 'medicines' or claim to treat specific medical conditions. Those in a position to complain to the appropriate authorities might want to check it out. Close examination of the site will also reveal the barely-dissimulated intention of scaring marks away from real medicine and locking them into the homeopathy cult. Again, this is par for the course....

You can read the rest of this post at anarchic-teapot.net. It goes on for quite a bit and contains a lot of red ink. Also swearing.

Encyclopedia of American Loons: #277: Lionel Milgrom

The Ken Ham of homeopathy, no single person has done more to torture quantum theory into the service of woo than Lionel Milgrom. Not that he has any understanding of quantum mechanics; but since his audience does not either, plastering the vocabulary of quantum theory onto his crackpottery to make it sound like Harry Potter spells seems to provide his readers with warm, fluffy feelings and the impression that Milgrom actually has anything to contribute. He hasn’t, of course.

Look, for instance, at one of his contributions to the “journal” Homeopathy. The article starts out with the Galileo gambit, conspiracies and persecution complexes. It goes downward from there...

Read the full post, written from the *headdesk* position, here: Encyclopedia of American Loons: #277: Lionel Milgrom

Encyclopedia of American Loons: #274: Joseph “Joe” Mercola

The Richard Hoagland of medicine, Joseph Mercola is an osteopath and a frighteningly popular alternative medicine guru and (more or less) cult leader. He advocates and takes seriously more or less any idiotic crackpot or anti-science idea he comes across, including but not limited to flu-denialism and anti-vaxx – even going so far as to work with Barbara Loe Fischer. He has claimed that modern medicine kills more people than it helps...

More tinfoil hattery here: Encyclopedia of American Loons: #274: Joseph “Joe” Mercola

Encyclopedia of American Loons: #262: Jenny McCarthy

The term “indigo child" was introduced by psychic reader Nancy Ann Tappe and popularized by our old friend Lee Carroll (of Kryon). According to Carroll indigo children represent the next step in human evolution, but we close-minded normal folks fail to recognize their potential and classify them as attention-deficit instead.

Now, Jenny McCarthy used to believe that she was an indigo mother and her son was an even more evolved crystal child (she even ran the website Indigo Moms). In 2007, however, McCarthy attended the University of Google for some weeks and decided that her child was vaccine damaged instead...

Full gory details at: Encyclopedia of American Loons: #262: Jenny McCarthy