Everyone knows the phenomenon: one week, headlines claim that red wine will kill you - and the next week, the same new sources state that red wine will cure you. Where do these messages come from?

In a new paper in ecancermedicalscience, researchers from King's College London examined the interaction between European science journalists and cancer researchers.

Led by Dr Ajay Aggarwal, the researchers surveyed a panel of cancer journalists.

The responses indicated some surprising ways that the research community interacts with the media - and areas where journalists, press teams and scientists can all improve.

Cancer research is a popular and complex health topic, prominently discussed in the media.

But what is the public supposed to take away from the conflicting, often contradictory messages of cancer in the news? Has sacrificing the educational aspect of cancer research in favour of entertainment value actually compromised the goals of cancer research and public health? And how can the connections between scientists, the public and the press be improved?

Improving news coverage will benefit cancer policy, research and practice - with tangible benefits for cancer patients.

Dr Aggarwal relates a case of a cancer patient who was crushed to discover that a Daily Mail article about his cancer was sensationalised;  such misrepresentation can confuse cancer patients and encourage false hope.

In fact, the study notes that few patients report satisfaction with cancer news coverage.

The journalists' perceptions of science communication will prove valuable for all healthcare professionals  - and surprising for some.

"Respondents felt that research findings were overstated by both the media and clinical trials public relations personnel," the researchers stated.

"They were also conscious of being fed ambiguous and exaggerated results, disseminated by the research community."

Journalists also provided their top three suggestions for improving communication - their highest priority? "Scientists need to respond more quickly to correspondence!"

That's another connection that could be strengthened as we work together to bridge the gap between scientists and the media.

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