Author Prasad (National Cancer Institute) and author Cifu (medicine, University of Chicago) draw on peer-reviewed data as well as their own experiences as physicians and medical educators in this expos of medical reversals, defined here as contemporary medical treatments, diagnostic techniques, medications, and surgeries that don’t work or even make the condition worse, yet are still used by doctors even when evidence shows otherwise. Writing for general readers, they explain how and why medical reversals happen and how readers can avoid becoming victims of medical reversals such as estrogen replacement therapy, stents for stable coronary-artery disease, and vertebroplasty. One chapter is devoted to a primer on evidence-based medicine, and another chapter gives advice on how not to become a victim of medical reversals. The authors seek to consider all sides of the debate and provide references to original sources. The book closes with the authors’ recommendations for reforming medical education, research funding, and the drug approval process in order to prevent medical reversals. A 30-page appendix provides a chart summarizing studies appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine between 2001 and 2010 that revealed medical reversals. Annotation ©2016 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)