Instead, this story clearly and efficiently reported what was found and why:
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.
A story that could have been hyped was saved by an important independent expert perspective in the piece.
Costs aren’t discussed, but everyone should know the costs of aspirin, ibuprofen or related painkillers.
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.
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.
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?”
No disease-mongering of melanoma in the story.
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.
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. There isn’t any question about the availability of aspirin, ibuprofen or related painkillers.
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.”
It’s clear that the story did not rely solely on a news release.
Systematic, Criteria-Driven
Following a shift in journalism’s business model, a diverse ecosystem of publications, many covering science, has sprung up online. This has made it more difficult to sort out what qualifies as journalism, what doesn’t, and whether the public even cares.
https://t.co/qO2a27FiSe
Researchers and journalists do the public a grave disservice when they spin health study results to make them appear safer or more effective than warranted, says @HealthNewsRevu founder @garyschwitzer https://t.co/QIKsRbP6Ed
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