Angus Chen

Angus Chen is a seasoned journalist with a focus on health and science reporting. He currently serves as a cancer reporter at STAT, where he covers various aspects of the cancer industry. Prior to this role, Angus was a reporter at WBUR and NPR, where his work appeared in Scientific American, Hidden Brain, 99% Invisible, and other publications and podcasts. Before venturing into journalism, Angus worked as a geology researcher with a primary responsibility of breaking rocks using heavy equipment. He resides in Oakland, California and enjoys surfing at Ocean Beach in San Francisco.

Biography:  https://www.statnews.com/staff/angus-chen/

82%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermines the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
Analysis.OverallConflictOfInterestScore * 0.3F + Analysis.OverallBiasScore * 0.3F + Analysis.DeceptivenessScore * 0.3F + Analysis.ReadabilityScore * 0.1F

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

The Daily's Verdict

This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.

Bias

88%

Examples:

  • The messaging around mammography often doesn’t go beyond the simple refrain: screening saves lives.

Conflicts of Interest

75%

Examples:

  • Get unlimited access to award-winning journalism and exclusive events. Subscribe.

Contradictions

92%

Examples:

  • The statement ‘For the vast majority of pancreatic cancer cases, the tumor grows undetected until it has already spread locally or to distant parts of the body.’ is deceptive because there are no data or statistics provided to support this claim.
  • Women should continue every other year until age 74 for breast cancer screening.

Deceptions

80%

Examples:

  • The quote by Ajay Goel stating that for most patients with pancreatic cancer, they cannot resect the tumor and have a high degree of mortality is unsupported by any data or statistics provided in the article.
  • The statement ‘For the vast majority of pancreatic cancer cases, the tumor grows undetected until it has already spread locally or to distant parts of the body.’ is deceptive because there are no data or statistics provided to support this claim.
  • While it’s true that early detection can improve treatment outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients, there are no studies cited to support Goel’s claim that his new blood test could detect pancreatic cancer at stage 1 or 2 with a sensitivity of over 90%.

Recent Articles

New Study: Women in Their 40s Prefer to Delay Breast Cancer Screening After Decision Aid Intervention - What You Should Know

New Study: Women in Their 40s Prefer to Delay Breast Cancer Screening After Decision Aid Intervention - What You Should Know

Broke On: Tuesday, 16 July 2024 A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that some women in their 40s prefer to delay breast cancer screening after a decision aid intervention, with lower breast cancer risk. However, not all women should delay without consulting healthcare providers. Another study showed that those who wait until age 50 have lower risk based on family history, while earlier screenings have higher risks and less concern for downsides. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends mammograms every other year for women aged 40-74, but many are unaware of the risks. Dr. Laura Esserman advocates for a personalized approach to screening through the WISDOM study.
New USPSTF Guidelines: Mammograms Every Other Year for Women Aged 40 and Above

New USPSTF Guidelines: Mammograms Every Other Year for Women Aged 40 and Above

Broke On: Tuesday, 30 April 2024 The US Preventive Services Task Force now recommends that women get mammograms every other year starting at age 40, following rising breast cancer rates among younger women. The new guidelines bring the USPSTF closer in line with other health organizations and require insurers to cover mammograms for women in their 40s, but concerns remain over potential harms and costs for supplemental screening.
Pancreatic Cancer: A Deadly Disease with Promising Early Detection Test

Pancreatic Cancer: A Deadly Disease with Promising Early Detection Test

Broke On: Monday, 08 April 2024 Pancreatic cancer is a deadly disease that accounts for just about 3% of all new cancer cases in the US, but it's the third leading cause of cancer deaths. A blood-based liquid biopsy test has shown promise in recent studies for detecting pancreatic cancer at an early stage with up to 97% accuracy.