Cancer patients self-medicate … and don’t always admit it

A third of people diagnosed with cancer report using alternative “medicine” to help treat it.

Herbal supplements were the most common alternative medicine and chiropractic, or osteopathic manipulation, was the second most common, according to Dr. Sanford’s analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health Interview Survey.

Flu watch

The CDC says at least 32,900 Americans have died from the flu this season (possibly as many as 54,800), including at least 86 children.

Perspective: That is about as many American servicemen and women died during the entire Korean War.

Shoulda seen that one coming

Pro tip: If you’re going to market an herbal product called “Aphrodisiac,” you can pretty much bet the FDA is gonna check it out for unauthorized ingredients. (And Buzz readers will know the agency will find them … and issue a recall notice.)

Oh, gut biome, is there anything you can’t do?

Researchers have found that the right fecal transplant can reduce autism symptoms by half.

Prior to the study, 83 percent of participants had “severe” autism. Now, only 17 percent are rated as severe, 39 percent as mild or moderate, and incredibly, 44 percent are below the cut-off for mild ASD [autism spectrum disorder].

Thanks to anti-vaxxers, measles outbreak about to set record

More measles cases are being reported to the CDC, making this current series of outbreaks the largest in the past five years … and on track to be the largest since we “eliminated” the disease almost 20 years ago.

Elsewhere: Ebola edition

Merck’s Ebola vaccine appears to be 97.5 percent effective against the disease.

The long read: Diabetes in Georgia’s prisons

“For some in Ga. prisons and jails, diabetes has meant a death sentence”

A first-of-its-kind investigation by the AJC shows how at least a dozen inmates have died — and died horribly — because they didn’t get the medication or help they needed.