The Breast Cancer Prevention Diet by Dr. Bob Arnot: Unscientific and deceptive - A disservice to American women

The following report is a critical review of the recently published book by NBC's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Bob Arnot, entitled, The Breast Can cer Prevention Diet: The Powerful Foods, Supplements, and Drugs That Can Sa ve Your Life. The review represents the official opinion of the American Co uncil on Science and Health (ACSH), a nonprofit public health education and advocacy group supported by a board of over 250 scientific and policy advi sors. The scientists at the ACSH express their profound concern about the m isleading, unscientific, and speculative advice that Dr. Arnot offers to wo men who wish to reduce their risk of breast cancer, i.e., to all women. The ACSH believes, first, that in the absence of sound, peer-reviewed evide nce supporting such advice, there is harm in recommending lifestyle modific ations for the purpose of preventing breast cancer. The ACSH also believes that a physician (and particularly one in a position of public trust, such as a professional media health expert) should refrain from selling advice b ased on the twin philosophies that "you can't afford to wait" for the evide nce, and that "you can only improve your health" with this diet. Indeed, un proven interventions such as those put forth in this book can have negative effects on both physical and psychological health. The ACSH contacted many of the scientists quoted or cited in Dr. Arnot's bo ok. Some expressed concerns regarding the book's message or the misrepresen tation of their work or both. Those physicians affiliated with the Memorial -Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York, while expressing their concerns about the claims made in the book, informed the ACSH that they had been "advised" not to comment on The Breast Cancer Prevention Diet. The MS KCC public relations office acknowledged that the center had serious concer ns about the Arnot book and that these concerns had been conveyed to the pu blisher, Little, Brown and Co., and to Dr. Arnot. The MSKCC representative noted that Dr. Arnot had "graciously" agreed to delete all references to MS KCC from future editions.