The Lancet

From MEpedia, a crowd-sourced encyclopedia of ME and CFS science and history

The Lancet is a weekly peer-reviewed UK medical journal. It has published a number of studies related to myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Specifically, it has published the findings of the PACE Trial which were received with much controversy in the ME/CFS patient and academic community.  

Notable studies published[edit | edit source]

Criticism[edit | edit source]

PACE Trial[edit | edit source]

Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet, staunchly defended the PACE trial paper in a radio interview in 2011, insisting that “it’s been through endless rounds of peer review and ethical review” and that “the criticisms about this study are a mirage”.[1]

The science journalist David Tuller commented:

The Lancet has not explained how this piece of nonsense could possibly pass peer review. It has not even acknowledged that it published a paper with outcome thresholds lower than entry criteria, so that you could be simultaneously “within normal range”–one of the study’s measures for improvement–and disabled enough to qualify the study. That is not hidden or tucked away! It's right there in the study. It should have been noticed by anyone who read the study carefully. For a paper to include this analysis is absurd. For a journal to publish it and then not acknowledge such a fundamental flaw after it has been pointed out repeatedly, including in correspondence in the journal itself, is also absurd”.[2]

Letters, articles and blogs[edit | edit source]

Notable people[edit | edit source]

Online presence[edit | edit source]

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Learn more[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Swann, Norman; Sharpe, Michael; Horton, Richard (April 18, 2011), "Health Report - Comparison of treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome - the PACE trial", ABC Radio National (Australia) - Health Report
  2. Schneider, Leonid (April 5, 2016), "Does The Lancet care about patients?", ForBetterScience Blog