Our Review Summary
Instead, this story clearly and efficiently reported what was found and why:
- “it’s just too early”
- “the jury’s still out”
- one expert said: “I wouldn’t recommend (taking NSAIDs to reduce melanoma) just based on this” new study,
We were a bit puzzled, though, why the story never mentioned that the study in question also looked at statins and found “no significant protective effect was observed with statin exposure.” Negative findings deserve publicity as well.
Why This Matters
A story that could have been hyped was saved by an important independent expert perspective in the piece.
Criteria
Not Applicable
Costs aren’t discussed, but everyone should know the costs of aspirin, ibuprofen or related painkillers.
Satisfactory
The story adequately explained: “..more than 40 percent of people who were cancer-free said they’d been taking NSAIDs at least once per week for more than 5 years, versus only 28 percent of those who developed melanoma.”
More importantly, it quoted one expert, “I wouldn’t recommend (taking NSAIDs to reduce melanoma) just based on this” new study.
Satisfactory
The story stated: “NSAIDs – which include aspirin, naproxen (marketed as Aleve), and ibuprofen (Advil) — have side effects, she noted, such as stomach bleeding.” It didn’t note whether study looked at side effects in those taking them for five years. Still, we’ll rule this satisfactory for remembering to include some mention of potential harms.
Satisfactory
The story includes this evaluation by an expert: “Unfortunately, the technique — comparing people with melanoma to those without – is fraught with potential problems, said Asgari. For one, you have to get the comparison right, she noted; there’s always a concern that people without cancer who agree to participate in the study may be more health conscious to begin with, and it’s this that protects them from cancer, not their use of NSAIDs. “Did you somehow get a biased sample of people, and is that why you’re seeing this difference?”
Satisfactory
No disease-mongering of melanoma in the story.
Satisfactory
The story turned to Dr. Maryam Asgari of Kaiser Permanente Northern California and the University of California San Francisco, who co-authored a 2008 study. Oddly, no author/researcher on the new study was quoted.
Not Satisfactory
It’s curious that the story never mentioned that the study also looked at statins and found “no significant protective effect was
observed with statin exposure.” Why wasn’t that mentioned? Negative findings deserve publicity as well.
Not Applicable
Not applicable. There isn’t any question about the availability of aspirin, ibuprofen or related painkillers.
Satisfactory
The story gave some historical context: “Animal experiments have suggested that the class of painkillers known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) could play a role in preventing melanoma, but a large 2008 study failed to find any evidence to support this possibility.”
Satisfactory
It’s clear that the story did not rely solely on a news release.
Total Score: 7 of 8 Satisfactory
Comments
Please note, comments are no longer published through this website. All previously made comments are still archived and available for viewing through select posts.
Our Comments Policy
But before leaving a comment, please review these notes about our policy.
You are responsible for any comments you leave on this site.
This site is primarily a forum for discussion about the quality (or lack thereof) in journalism or other media messages (advertising, marketing, public relations, medical journals, etc.) It is not intended to be a forum for definitive discussions about medicine or science.
We will delete comments that include personal attacks, unfounded allegations, unverified claims, product pitches, profanity or any from anyone who does not list a full name and a functioning email address. We will also end any thread of repetitive comments. We don”t give medical advice so we won”t respond to questions asking for it.
We don”t have sufficient staffing to contact each commenter who left such a message. If you have a question about why your comment was edited or removed, you can email us at feedback@healthnewsreview.org.
There has been a recent burst of attention to troubles with many comments left on science and science news/communication websites. Read “Online science comments: trolls, trash and treasure.”
The authors of the Retraction Watch comments policy urge commenters:
We”re also concerned about anonymous comments. We ask that all commenters leave their full name and provide an actual email address in case we feel we need to contact them. We may delete any comment left by someone who does not leave their name and a legitimate email address.
And, as noted, product pitches of any sort – pushing treatments, tests, products, procedures, physicians, medical centers, books, websites – are likely to be deleted. We don”t accept advertising on this site and are not going to give it away free.
The ability to leave comments expires after a certain period of time. So you may find that you’re unable to leave a comment on an article that is more than a few months old.
You might also like