Harvey Risch’s Controversial Appointment to the President’s Cancer Panel Sparks Concerns Over Pseudoscience and Misinformation

An epidemiologist with a history of promoting unproven Covid-19 treatments and espousing baseless claims about vaccine-related cancer risks has been appointed by former President Donald Trump to chair a key federal panel overseeing the National Cancer Program. Harvey Risch, a professor emeritus of epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health, was officially named chair of the President’s Cancer Panel in November 2025, according to his updated Yale profile and a subsequent announcement on social media.

Appointment and Panel Role

The President’s Cancer Panel, tasked with monitoring the development and execution of the National Cancer Program, requires oversight of research progress, efficacy, and improvement opportunities. Despite the lack of a formal White House announcement, Risch’s appointment is documented on Yale’s website, listing him as the panel’s new chair. As of press time, neither the White House, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Cancer Panel, nor Risch himself had responded to requests for comment.

Controversial Background and Pseudoscientific Claims

Risch’s appointment has raised alarms among medical experts due to his history of promoting unsubstantiated Covid-19 treatments and spreading baseless medical claims. During the 2020 pandemic, he championed hydroxychloroquine, relying on flawed data to advocate for its use as a Covid-19 therapy—an approach later discredited by rigorous clinical trials and medical consensus. Additionally, he has promoted ivermectin, a veterinary antiparasitic drug, as a cancer treatment despite its lack of regulatory approval for such use. Customer reviews on his employer’s website, The Wellness Company (a MAGA-aligned alternative health organization selling supplements and pharmaceuticals), indicate patients are already using the drug for cancer treatment.

In 2023, Risch amplified conspiracy theories by suggesting a link between mRNA Covid-19 vaccines and “turbo cancer,” a term he used to describe aggressively progressing tumors without scientific evidence. This claim echoed longstanding anti-vaccine misinformation, though the National Cancer Institute (NCI) explicitly states, “There is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer, recurrence, or disease progression, nor do they alter DNA.”

Expert Warnings of Disruption to Cancer Research

Medical experts have criticized Risch’s appointment as a threat to evidence-based cancer research. David Gorski, a surgical oncologist, stated, “His promotion of pseudoscience and false claims about cancer will inject conspiracy theories into the panel’s reports, harming cancer patients.” A匿名专家 expressed concern that Risch’s beliefs could “bleed into the National Cancer Program,” a critical initiative coordinating federal funding for cancer research and training, noting fears of “ivermectin for cancer being promoted at the federal level.”

Broader Pattern of Controversial Appointments

Risch’s appointment follows a pattern of Trump administration (second term) hires of figures with ties to misinformation and anti-science advocacy. Notable examples include anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary, former daytime TV host Dr. Mehmet Oz as head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and Casey Means—who lacks a medical license—as surgeon general nominee. Kennedy, in particular, has populated his vaccine advisory committee with anti-vaccine advocates, further undermining public health efforts.

Yale and Institutional Context

At Yale, Risch holds emeritus status but is also listed as the chief epidemiologist for The Wellness Company, a firm marketing supplements and unproven Covid-19 treatments. His Yale profile was updated to reflect the 2025 appointment, though the Cancer Panel’s official website did not include him among current members at time of publication.

Panel Dynamics and Current Members

Risch will replace Elizabeth Jaffee, a pancreatic cancer researcher whose term ended in March 2025. The panel currently includes Mitchel Berger (neurosurgeon) and Carol Brown (gynecologic oncologist), neither of whom responded to requests for comment. Jaffee, critical of Trump’s cuts to cancer research funding, noted the typical turnover in presidential administrations but expressed concern over the direction of the panel under Risch.

Conclusion

The appointment of Risch, a proponent of unproven therapies and vaccine conspiracy theories, underscores fears that political ideology may override scientific evidence in critical public health initiatives. As the National Cancer Program faces potential disruption, experts warn that Risch’s influence could delay progress in cancer prevention, treatment, and research.