Our Review Summary

The very preliminary study mentioned in this news release relies on only 12 cancer patients filling out an unvalidated questionnaire about whether taking lactoferrin supplements improved their sense of taste and smell.

This is a weak news release about a weak observational study because it provides no supporting data, never mentions how small the study is, and doesn’t explain the basic design or multiple limitations of the study.

To then write a headline broadly claiming alleviation of chemotherapy side effects and state the “findings could bring relief to millions of patients undergoing cancer treatment” is a textbook example of overreaching and unjustified hype with significant potential for misleading — not “bringing relief” to millions.

Why This Matters

What this news release does do well is establish that altered taste and smell in cancer patients is a very real problem with very real consequences. An effective therapy could help millions of people and potentially make millions of dollars for those who develop such a treatment.

Dangling headlines of false hope without supporting evidence is not just irresponsible, it’s potentially unethical.

Avoiding this egregious level of misinformation is not difficult. At the very least it could be addressed by including study results and clearly explaining to readers what the strengths and limitations of those findings are. After that, double check your headline and ask yourself: is it more eye-catching or more evidence-based?