The news of alleged misconduct by Dr. Hwang Woo Suk, the South Korean scientist hailed as a stem cell pioneer, is disturbing and bizarre. But it is essential that the behavior of one brilliant but seemingly troubled researcher not be used to besmirch the still promising field of embryonic stem cell (ESC) research.

Despite the fact that all medications including natural remedies and over-the counter drugs carry some degree of risk, our desire to avoid risk tends to be especially intense when it comes to prescription drugs. We simply dont know what information to trust.

NEW YORK, NY -- December 15, 2005. Radiation therapy for breast cancer patients following lumpectomy saves lives and should be used more often, despite the fears of many women about radiation. So says the American Council on Science and Health, reacting to a study in the December 17, 2005 issue of the British medical journal theLancet.

1. Focus your efforts on things that matter; inform yourself about possible risks.

Americans have a unique aversion to risk -- particularly when it comes to pharmaceuticals and medical treatment. We want all the benefits of modern medical technology, but many of us won't tolerate any of the risks associated with them. We've come to expect absolute safety as well as assurances of efficacy: that is, we want an ironclad guarantee that the drug or procedure works as expected, with no serious downsides.

Efforts to link environmental factors to cancer have foundered recently, as highlighted in an article by New York Times science reporter, Gina Kolata.

Six children have been hospitalized with E. coli O157:H7 infections, acquired from drinking unpasteurized (raw) milk. As of this writing, three are reported to still be in the hospital in Oregon -- two in critical condition.
"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." While the author of that quote, philosopher George Santayana, probably wasn't talking about the history of public health and food safety, he might well have been.

Environmental groups are likely to tout today's announcement that DuPont settled for more than $10 million with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the chemical compound perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The EPA alleged that Dupont failed to meet certain legislatively mandated reporting requirements with regard to PFOA, which is a byproduct of the process used in manufacturing Teflon.

The following editorial appeared on SperoForum.com.
As 2005 draws to a close, one of the most debated health issues of the year, drug importation to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, remains in limbo.

Media reports lately have been full of news about the latest attempts by trial lawyers to find someone to sue for the increasing obesity of American kids. Not content with blaming McDonald's for fattening our youth, some trial lawyers, aided and abetted by the activist groups like Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), are now targeting companies that sell soft drinks in vending machines in schools.