The shark cartilage fad took its toll, contributing to the possible extinction of the spiny dogfish shark and the blue shark, both of which are now at risk. Sadly, some people used shark cartilage instead of conventional therapies that would have saved their lives, most notably a nine-year-old Canadian girl with a brain tumor. After the tumor had been removed, doctors recommended a course of radiation and chemotherapy that offered a good chance of survival. Her parents opted for shark cartilage instead. She was dead in four months.
