Science fact or science fiction?

A man reading a newspaper Cancer is a hot topic in the media, from the latest cancer-fighting superfood to scare stories, and from front-page scientific breakthroughs to new treatments.

But this wealth of information can be overwhelming - and can sometimes seem contradictory.

Is red wine good or bad for us? How much broccoli should we eat? And why does it take so long for new scientific breakthroughs to result in better cancer treatments?

It can sometimes seem that scientists don’t know what they’re talking about, or that everything is over-hyped. So how do we know what to believe?

For a start, Cancer Research UK provides authoritative, evidence-based information about cancer, written by experts.

Our award-winning patient information website, CancerHelp UK helps people find out more about cancer treatments and symptoms, as well as risks and causes.

And our award-winning Science Update Blog also covers the latest news stories and advances in cancer research.

In this section we’ll explore some wider issues in cancer and the media, to help separate science fact from science fiction.

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