Wednesday, June 13, 2007

How did they get there in the 1st place?

As a former academic (and fully aware of the importance of scientific publications), there are times when I scratch my head and wonder, "Federal dollars were spent on this!"

In nearly all cases, outcomes are predictable within an expected range. It's called the scientific method. With no desire to get into a discussion of the scientific method, a recent study looked at the role of diet on recovery from colon cancer.

You can read the summary. Here is the first paragraph:
"Patients with stage III colon cancer who have undergone surgery and chemotherapy with the goal of cure may have a higher risk of relapsing and dying early if they follow a predominantly "Western" diet of red meat, fatty foods, refined grains, and desserts, according to research led by investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston."

As I read this summary, all I could think was, "What type of diet do you think got them there in the first place?" I'm sure this research was needed somewhere, after all, if a study doen'st prove it, how do you know it's true.

But there is some good news...we know now the answer to the question and a "prudent" diet has made some headlines.

Am I just being cynical?

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