TV Presenter Who Claimed Negative Thoughts Cause Cancer Apologizes

TV presenter Noel Edmonds apologized to a cancer patient after suggesting he might have developed cancer because of his "negative attitude."

The patient, Vaun Norman, questioned Edmonds's claim that a device using electromagnetic fields could treat various diseases. Edmonds replied with this tweet: "Disease is caused by negative energy. Is it possible your illness is caused by your negative attitude?"

Norman said the statement made him very angry and complained about Edmonds.

Edmonds initially defended his statements on the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire Show in June 2016. Later, on local BBC radio, he apologized for "any distress caused."

"Do Not Trivialize People's Lives"

Edmonds said his question was "well-intentioned and intended to stimulate curiosity." He had now apologized and said, "In return, Norman might be kind enough to withdraw his accusation that I somehow profit from cancer."

Discussing the Twitter exchange, Mr Norman said Edmonds was "trivializing the lives of people who are struggling."

Norman said, "I only survived cancer through very well-trained, very experienced medical people and my own tremendous efforts — having cancer is very difficult."

This incident reminds us that the media have serious responsibilities when covering medical conditions, particularly cancer. Claims such as "Cancer is not a disease," "Chemotherapy kills" or "The miracle of this plant ended cancer" should be challenged for scientific support when presented as public messages in print or broadcast media. In developed countries, unsupported claims capable of alarming the public are seriously questioned and, when necessary, those responsible must apologize. We hope this excellent example of media social responsibility finds a counterpart in our country.

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