/oss/taxonomy/term/2154/all en /oss/article/health-news-quackery/cancer-charlatans <p>What makes people defend the indefensible? A prime example of this conundrum is the case of Antonella Carpenter, a 71 year old “alternative practitioner” who was convicted of conducting a fraudulent scheme to cure cancer in Tulsa, Oklahoma and is likely looking at spending the rest of her life in prison. She is not a physician but has some training in physics and claims that she can cure cancer by injecting a tumour with a saline solution of food colouring and walnut hull extract followed by heating the area with a laser.</p> Mon, 18 Apr 2016 19:29:52 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2334 at /oss