根據一位生物學家的觀點：目前人們越來越熱衷于將鯊魚軟骨提取物做為抗癌治療方法，這是偽科學市場操作的勝利。不僅會對鯊魚這個物種，而且還將會對人類產生悲劇性的后果。

美迪醫療網成揚報道：美國約翰霍普金斯大學生物與比較醫學系(the departments of Biology and Comparative Medicine at The Johns Hopkins University)Gary K. Ostrander教授，在2004年11月《癌癥研究》(Cancer Research)期刊上撰文指出：“由于目前誤認為鯊魚軟骨可以治療癌癥，這不僅導致了鯊魚種群數量的明顯減少，而且誤導了癌癥患者，使他們不能采用業已證明有效的抗癌治療。”

Ostrander教授和來自低等動物腫瘤登記部門(the Registry of Tumours in Lower Animals)一組研究人員，詳細研究了40多例鯊魚以及其它相關物種的腫瘤樣本。通過研究那些在低等動物體內發現的腫瘤，研究小組將“鯊魚不得腫瘤”的觀點稱為“荒謬論斷”（正是這些論斷成功影響了那些絕望的癌癥患者，使得他們購買并服用天然鯊魚軟骨提取物）。與此同時他們也“呼喚”社會更加具有科學理性，不要受到那些熟練操縱市場的人士“不符合邏輯的觀點”的影響。

“天然鯊魚軟骨之所以被推向市場做為治療腫瘤的手段，是以“鯊魚不得癌癥”這一論斷為前提的。而這是一個荒謬的論斷，”Ostrander在文中寫道，“人們從Internet網絡上閱讀或者從電視上聽說：服用天然鯊魚軟骨提取物能夠治療癌癥，而且他們相信無需了解這些論斷是否有科學依據。”

Ostrander發現了電子媒體與偽科學潛在危害不斷增加之間協同性，正是新型媒體將離奇古怪的文化好奇轉化為潛在的社會問題與經濟問題。Ostrander總結說：“戰勝這一危害的唯一途徑就是：確保政府官員與媒體從業人員接受足夠的以事實為依據的科學培訓，同時這些人員應當具備科學的思維與判斷能力。”

Ostrnader解釋說，從軟骨（包括鯊魚軟骨）中高度提純的成分，或許確實包含有利于人類癌癥治療的有益成分，但是事實上，迄今為止沒有一項安慰劑對照的臨床試驗能夠證實軟骨提取物可以做為抗癌藥物。

Shark Cartilage: Cancer "Cure" Shows Danger of Pseudoscience

The rising popularity of shark cartilage extract as an anti-cancer treatment is a triumph of marketing and pseudoscience over reason, with a tragic fallout for both sharks and humans, according to a biologist.

"Since shark cartilage has been promoted as a cancer cure, not only has there been a measurable decline in shark populations, but cancer patients also have been diverted from proven, effective treatments,” writes Gary K. Ostrander, a research professor in the departments of Biology and Comparative Medicine at The Johns Hopkins University in December's issue of Cancer Research.

Ostrander and a team of researchers from the Registry of Tumours in Lower Animals detail more than 40 examples of tumours in sharks and related species. The team not only dissects what they call the "fallacious arguments” that have successfully convinced desperate cancer patients to purchase and ingest crude shark cartilage extract, but they also sound a "wake-up call” for society to become more scientifically literate and less vulnerable to skillfully mass-marketed illogical claims.

"Crude shark cartilage is marketed as a cancer cure on the premise that sharks don't get cancer. That is not true”, Ostrander writes, "People read on the Internet or hear on television that taking crude shark cartilage extract can cure them of cancer, and they believe it without demanding to see the science behind the claims”.

Ostrander sees a coherence between the electronic media and the increased potential harm of pseudoscience and that new media would help to turn quaint cultural curiosities into potential societal and ecological problems. Ostrander concludes: "The only way to combat this is to ensure that government leaders and media professionals receive adequate scientific training based on reason, and that they also develop critical thinking skills.”

Ostrander explained that highly purified components of cartilage - including from sharks - might hold some benefit for treatment of human cancers but in fact, not a single controlled clinical study has ever proven that it works as an anti-cancer agent.