‘We Cannot Distinguish Fake From Real’: What We Heard This Week

“We are at a point now that we cannot distinguish fake from real.” — Elisabeth Bik, PhD, a scientific integrity consultant, discussing artificial intelligence-generated research papers.

“They want to know whether they have to, basically, ‘mash on my junk.'” — Andrew Peterson, MD, of Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, commenting on men’s aversion to conventional artificial urinary sphincters with scrotal control pumps.

“It can detect things early … earlier than maybe we would find in some circumstances. But is that clinically relevant?” — Victor van Berkel, MD, PhD, of UofL Physicians in Louisville, Kentucky, during an FDA advisory committee discussion on a multicancer early detection blood test.

“I am optimistic that this could be transformative.” — Helen Tager-Flusberg, PhD, of Boston University, on an HHS-led research initiative aimed at changing how autism is diagnosed.

“It’s getting messier and messier as northern ticks are migrating south, and the ticks that are down here have migrated north.” — Ross Boyce, MD, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, on the growing challenges of diagnosing Lyme disease and other tick-borne coinfections.

“A decision for Louisiana would impose one state’s abortion policy on the rest of the country.” — Sarah Wetter, JD, MPH, of the O’Neill Institute’s Center for Health Policy and the Law in Washington, D.C., on how a federal appeals court ruling on mifepristone (Mifeprex) regulation could impact nationwide abortion access.

“The current turmoil at NIH and other federal health agencies threatens continued progress for patients.” — AACR President Keith Flaherty, MD, of the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute in Boston, discussing a report showing a 35% drop in overall U.S. cancer mortality since 1991.

“The downsides to gabapentin are quite small and are not enough to warrant being a scheduled medication.” — Brian Callaghan, MD, MS, of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, commenting on a study showing gabapentin prescribing surged after Michigan descheduled the drug.