In case you missed it, check out this story from last night's 60 Minutes about research done at Duke. A researcher claimed that he could match unique DNA to the most effective chemotherapy agent. It turns out the data was wrong, as many are claiming, fraudulent. If Dante were here, I bet he'd reserve a special place in hell for people who take advantage those with Stage 4 cancer, and the people who love them.
3 comments:
I saw this last night, Katie, and have been talking with some friends about it this morning.
First the story itself, which is one of a complete failure of Duke administration in verifying this physician's credentials IN THE FIRST PLACE. Nothing like beginning with the basics.
The problem is the fear it now leaves in its wake:
1) How do patients gauge the credibility of clinical trials? What questions should be asked?
2) And now we have to ask this question: how often does this happen....
In the end the truth DID come out; and I'm grateful to the MD Anderson researchers who started asking questions from the beginning.
What it leads us to wonder is this: what is peer review if this research was published in the world's leading clinical magazines?
Thanks, I was surprised not to see people talking about this today.
jms
Can't even bear to watch this yet. Sadly, I think there is more of this nonsense going on than we even suspect...and I suspect EVERYONE (as Hercule Poirot used to say...)!
I've read some interesting research about research -- how poorly so many study designs are, how often results are skewed, hyped, problems omitted, only the most cursory reviews before publication...it's disgusting. Will have to crawl back onto my soapbox on this again one of these days.
I'm angry. as usual.
Thanks for this though.
xo
Dorry
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