Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Shark cartilage cancer "cure" shows danger of pseudoscience

Published in Cancer Weekly, December 21st, 2004

The rising popularity of shark cartilage extract as an anticancer treatment is a triumph of marketing and pseudoscience over reason, with a tragic fallout for both sharks and humans, according to a Johns Hopkins biologist.

"Since shark cartilage has been promoted as a cancer cure, not only has there has been a measurable decline in shark populations, but cancer patients also have been diverted from proven, effective treatments," said Gary K. Ostrander, a research professor in the departments of biology and comparative medicine at the Johns Hopkins University.

In the paper, titled "Shark cartilage, cancer and the growing threat of pseudoscience,"...

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Source: Cancer Weekly (2004-12-21)

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