text_1: New blood test may transform the way cancer is monitored and treated
text_2: There are 429 words in this news release. Nearly half are contained in just two exuberant quotes from Stanford researchers. If the study itself backed up the claims made in these quotes, we would applaud the release for its economy of language. As it stands, the release needed much more information to help journalists and other readers understand that this is a very limited study that may or may not turn into a true alternative to other cancer diagnostics. The news release makes a huge claim with its headline: “New blood test may transform the way cancer is monitored and treated.” It then doesn’t provide any evidence to support this claim. It could just as well have declared “new blood test may not transform the way cancer is monitored and treated.”