However, "many doctors say they're troubled by stars who cross the line from sharing their stories to championing questionable or even dangerous medical advice," such as Tom Cruise who "railed against antidepressants" and dismissed "psychiatry as a 'pseudoscience'" on the Today show, or "Jenny McCarthy," who "has written several books linking autism with childhood vaccinations," and Suzanne Somers, who recently released a book described by experts "as a catalogue of unproven or long-debunked alternative cancer 'cures.'"

In another story, USA Today (12/22) reported that "most of actress Suzanne Somers' advice in her new book, Knockout, is wrongheaded or even risky," experts say. For example, "doctors and patient advocates say they're concerned that the actress champions alternative therapies over those with proven value," such as "chemosensitivity tests" for predicting "a patient's response to cancer" medicines and "pancreatic enzyme therapy" for cancer patients. In fact, "patients given the enzymes...lived only four months, while those given standard chemotherapy survived 14 months, according to a study of 55 patients published online in August in the Journal of Clinical Oncology."

Related Links:

- Are celebrities crossing the line on medical advice?," Liz Szabo, USA Today, December 23, 2009

- A 'Knockout' punch from medical experts," USA Today, December 22, 2009.