Dismissing pancreatic cancer
If The Pilgrim is going to have the arrogance to criticise the cancer research work of a professor from one of Europe’s largest medical universities, he should perhaps first have the decency to read the study he is criticising.
His article last week on Professor Larsson’s recent work did nothing more than highlight his own ignorance, and further demonstrate the woefully-inadequate and misleading way the press of this country report on science in general.
The Pilgrim bemoans the “complete lack of control over this so-called research”. He is obviously unaware that scientific papers (unlike poorly-researched opinion pieces) must be peer-reviewed before they can be published, and then are subject to the scrutiny of the scientific community.
Pancreatic cancer is hardly the “nasty bug” The Pilgrim insultingly dismisses it as. It is one of the most fatal types of cancer, killing more than 7,500 per year in the UK alone.
Professor Larsson’s research suggests that increasing your intake of processed meats by 50g per day can increase your risk of pancreatic cancer by 19 per cent, and quite clearly states this. Potentially, this information, if properly communicated, could save thousands of lives.
Rather than ignorantly dismissing the “geeks in white coats” who dedicate their careers to the fight against cancer, perhaps The Pilgrim should take the time to applaud their work (or possibly even read it). One day his own life may depend on their work.
Despite his arrogance and ignorance, The Pilgrim actually managed to end his column with some good advice regarding what to eat. Unlike his preconceptions, and the advice of many “nutritionists”, the advice of science with regard to eating healthily is fairly simple and was summarised quite nicely by Michael Pollan: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
Duncan Carmichael
Stirling
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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