Responsible risk communication

Had to share this wonderful op ed from the LA Times. It's about the need for better reporting on breast cancer (and other health risks). It addresses one of my pet peeves with the media, too: reporting relative risk--for example, people with genetic mutation X have a 500% greater than average risk of dread disease Y--without comment on absolute risk (which could be miniscule ... thereby rendering the 500% odds quite a bit less frightening).