We are bombarded every day with headlines claiming scientists have found the cause or cure of various diseases. Although the research is very important, often these headlines are based on very early results performed on animal models (for example rats or rabbits), or on cells growing in a dish. It’s not always clear how relevant the results are to real people.
If you have had an ileostomy due to bowel cancer, then it can distressing to read headlines such as “pork increases risk of bowel cancer by a fifth” (from the Telegraph). You may wonder if small life style changes may have changed your current outcome.
Thankfully, the NHS Knowledge Service has been running a service called “Behind the headlines”. This web site casts a critical eye on the health related headlines which appear from news sources such as the BBC web site, and the mainstream press and explains exactly what sort of tests were conducted and raises concerns if the article content is misleading.
Here is the service’s report on the “pork/red meat” story.
The site has covered several headlines on Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s. And so provides a useful resource to help you understand the latest developements in health care.
note: It can take a few days for a response to headline to appear.
