Between the Lines

Too many headlines about cancer cures are overblown--here's how you can evaluate them

As a medical reporter, I'm keenly aware that health news is confusing. And yes, I admit we journalists sometimes distort the issue by reporting results in starkly black-and-white terms, without much nuance or guidance on how to interpret them. Often we raise false hopes and complicate the lives of doctors who have to tell patients that the "cures" they've heard about in the media are still in the future. So when I arrived in steamy New Orleans last week for the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting, I knew I would have to be very careful in choosing what clinical...

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