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COALITION ON ABORTION/BREAST CANCER CHALLENGES SCIENCE BLOGS BLOGGERS TO ACT LIKE GENUINE EXPERTS

The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer challenges Science Blog bloggers Mark C. Chu-Carr and "Orac" (a pseudonym) to behave like the real experts they claim to be.

"Write to the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons using your real names," said Karen Malec, president of the Coalition. "Explain your objections to the paper by Patrick Carroll which shows that abortion is the "best predictor of breast cancer." " 1

"If you have a better model with better predictors than abortion, then please tell us what it is.  While you're at it, perhaps you can do what no other expert has ever attempted to do - explain why the abortion-breast cancer (ABC) link is not biologically plausible."

Displeased with Dennis Byrne's article in the Chicago Tribune that reported Carroll's findings on Monday, Chu-Carr and "Orac" labeled the ABC link a "myth," Mr. Byrne's article "idiotic," and the medical journal "terrible."  2 3 4

"The debate about the ABC link is abnormal," said Mrs. Malec.  "In a normal debate, real experts don't become so overwrought that they shoot the messengers.  They don't use pseudonyms when they criticize other researchers' work.  They don't act like snipers taking potshots at women."

Listed among the comments posted on the Chicago Tribune's website from readers of Dennis Byrne's article is an entry from someone going by the name of "Orac" showing that he/she decided to attack Carroll's study before he/she ever read it.  Speaking of the Tribune's article, "Orac" said:

"I can't believe the author of this piece is quoting anything from the Journal of American Physicans and Surgeons. That's not a scientific journal, it's a far right wing libertarian crank journal that publishes antivaccination pseudoscience....The journal is nothing more than an outlet for ideologically-motivated pseudoscience.  I will, however, look up the article in question and perhaps do a deconstructed (sic).  It's a piece of (expletive) allegedly peer-reviewed journal. Don't worry, though, I'll look at the study. It's coming...."

The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer is an international women's organization founded to protect the health and save the lives of women by educating and providing information on abortion as a risk factor for breast cancer.

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