1. Cancer Reporting in the Press
First
Do No Harm...
2nd International Conference of Health Journalism
Cancer Reporting in the Press
How much harm does it do?
Barry Turner, Senior Lecturer in Science Journalism, Lincoln School of Journalism

2. Primum non Nocere
We are all familiar with the Principalist Medical Ethic that commands that the medical professional shall “first do no harm”
Or more accurately… NEVER do harm.
It is a doctrine that has often not been fully subscribed to by Medics
And almost never by the Press

3. Cancer in the Press Cancer is a favorite topic of the print media
Cancer stories lend themselves well to the News Values of health reporting.
Health reporting in general is divided around two main themes
The Scare Story
The Medical Breakthrough

4. Cancer in the Modern World
Cancer is one of the major killers of the 21st century
There were 8.2 million deaths from cancer in the world in 2012
Cardiovascular diseases remain the biggest NCD killer (7 million heart attacks & 6.2 million strokes in 2011)

5. Fear of Cancer
A survey of 1,007 adults by Harris Interactive for the MetLife Foundation finds that 41% of people fear cancer most,
Closely followed by Alzheimer’s disease at 31%.
The report says 8% fear stroke the most and 8% heart disease.
6% fear diabetes

6. Fear of Cancer
Fear of cancer far outweighs the fear of the much bigger killer, cardiovascular disease.
This is probably because of the nature of cancer death
The Alzheimer's figure at 31% supports this in that the disease aetiology is the most frightening part of it
Diabetes, itself a major killer and a very nasty disease curiously occupies little ‘worry time’

7. Cancer, The Story Cancer provides the press with a wealth of stories
And most of the common news values apply
Cancer meets the level of perceived importance or drama to be newsworthy
Cancer is something the reader can identify with (Threshold)

8. Journalistic Imperatives
‘Professional imperatives which act as implicit guides to the construction of news stories (Chibnall 1977)
Threshold
Predictability
Simplification
Individualism
Risk
Sex
Celebrity
Proximity
Violence
Spectacle
Children
Conservatism

9. Journalistic Imperatives
‘Professional imperatives which act as implicit guides to the construction of news stories (Chibnall 1977)
Threshold
Predictability
Simplification
Individualism
Risk
Sex
Reader can identify
Aetiology and treatment
Use of military terms
Avoidance of complexity
The basis of all scare stories
HPV and other alleged sexually transmitted causes

10. Journalistic Imperatives
‘Professional imperatives which act as implicit guides to the construction of news stories (Chibnall 1977)
Celebrity
Proximity
Violence
Spectacle
Children
Conservatism
Celebrities ‘battle’ cancer
Cultural relevance
War on Cancer battle against cancer, fight etc.)
Children with cancer emphasised in media
Populist values (such as resource allocation just deserts etc)

11. Priorities The press prioritises stories around news values
This often leads to disproportionate stories about certain types of cancer
Huge emphasis on supporting campaigns (often based on political or commercial pressures rather than real health issues)

12. Campaigns Campaigns have the role of increasing cancer awareness
Slick PR and advertising can be used
Very expensive campaigns attract press attention
Celebrities can have a huge effect
Sometimes those behind the campaign are less altruistic than they seem!

13. Moralities Lung cancer is still one of the biggest killers
43,463 people in the UK were diagnosed with lung cancer in 2011.*
There were 35,184 deaths from lung cancer in the UK in 2011.*
9.0% of adult lung cancer patients (7.8% of men and 9.3% of women) in England survived their cancer for five years or more in *
* Statistics: Cancer Research UK

14. Moralities
Lung cancer associated with behaviour and presented as less deserving
Liver cancer also associated with lifestyle choices and similarly less deserving
Moral conservatism is a powerful news value

15. The Stories that Never Ran
Osteoporosis and Cancer
The scientific journals are full of reports that hormonal treatments for osteoporosis are linked to increased invasiveness in cancer metastasis
Drugs that can treat osteoporosis initiate cell signaling pathways that also trigger tumour cell migration

16. The Stories that Never Ran
SSRI’s and Breast Cancer
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (Prozac, Seroxat, Lustral) inhibit liver antigens that metabolise cancer chemotherapy (Tamoxifen)
SSRI’s are prescribed for depression and anxiety (commonly found in people with cancer)

17. The Press Fails Us! When stories don’t run we don’t get informed
The startling fact about the stories that did not run is that many doctors are unaware of these prescribing risks
Certainly many patients who take the drugs are unaware of the side effects, some of which are fatal