> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.fdaweb.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Trump Taps Controversial Figure to Lead Cancer Panel
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/trump-taps-controversial-figure-to-lead-cancer-panel/
- Published: 2025-12-16T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T15:29:20.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: Drugs, #legacy-id-D5160395

President Trump has appointed Yale epidemiologist **Harvey Risch** to chair the President’s Cancer Panel, a move that is raising alarm among cancer researchers and public health experts because of Risch’s past promotion of unproven Covid-19 treatments and speculation about links between vaccines and cancer, according to [*Wired*](https://www.wired.com/story/risch-trump-panel-vaccines-turbo-cancer-ivermectin-hcq/?ref=fdaweb.com). The panel is tasked with monitoring the National Cancer Program and advising the president on progress, effectiveness, and opportunities to improve federal cancer research, prevention, and treatment efforts. While the panel does not regulate products directly, its reports can shape policy priorities across agencies such as the National Cancer Institute and, indirectly, FDA.

Risch has long been a controversial figure in public health circles. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he publicly promoted hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin as treatments despite a lack of evidence from randomized clinical trials. He also testified before Congress in support of hydroxychloroquine and appeared frequently on conservative media outlets. More recently, Risch has speculated — without evidence — about whether mRNA Covid-19 vaccines could be linked to so-called “turbo cancers,” a claim widely rejected by oncologists and epidemiologists, according to *Wired*.

“There is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer, lead to recurrence, or lead to disease progression,” the National Cancer Institute states on its Web site, adding that the vaccines do not alter DNA and are recommended for many cancer patients because of their elevated risk from Covid-19 infection.

Some experts warned that Risch’s views could undermine the scientific integrity of the Cancer Panel’s work. **David Gorski**, a surgical oncologist who tracks medical misinformation, said Risch’s appointment risks injecting pseudoscience into federal cancer policy discussions. Another physician, speaking anonymously, told *Wired* they are concerned the panel could be used to legitimize unsupported claims, including the use of ivermectin as a cancer therapy.

In addition to his academic role, Risch serves as chief epidemiologist for The Wellness Company, a politically aligned alternative health firm that sells supplements as well as ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. While the company does not market ivermectin as a cancer treatment, product reviews on its Web site include claims from customers using it for cancer, according to *Wired*.

Risch is replacing **Elizabeth Jaffee**, a Johns Hopkins pancreatic cancer researcher whose term as chair ended earlier this year. Jaffee told *Wired* that turnover on the panel is typical with a change in administration. The panel’s other current members are neurosurgeon **Mitchel Berger** and gynecologic cancer surgeon **Carol Brown**.

The appointment comes amid broader scrutiny of Trump’s second-term health appointments, including the installation of **Robert F. Kennedy Jr**., a longtime vaccine skeptic, as HHS secretary. For FDA watchers, critics say Risch’s elevation underscores concerns that misinformation and fringe views could increasingly influence federal health policy at a time when agencies are grappling with cancer research funding, drug regulation, and vaccine confidence.