Sick on prescription

There's a report circulating in the media right now that an insulin preparation, used by approximately 500,000 diabetics in Germany alone, is causing cancer as an unpleasant side effect. It sounds pretty scary.

The fact is, the 500,000 diabetics suffer enough from their first illness alone, and 3,500 more cases of cancer per year won't make much difference. But it's also a fact that the insulin medications now suspected of causing cancer are prescribed by doctors.