The modern tragedy of fake cancer cures
In medicine, virality means false hopes, dashed dreams, and a whole lot of hype. We are desperate for a solution.
by Matthew Herper
Feb 01, 2019
3 minutes
So it happened again. An underreported story about a half-baked advance in cancer medicine caught fire and scorched its way through social media, onto network TV, and into the minds of millions of people.
To start, no. There won’t be “a complete cure for cancer” in a year’s time, as the chairman of a small Israeli biotechnology firm predicted to the Jerusalem Post. The claim, absurd on its face, was particularly frustrating to those who
You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.
Start your free 30 days