Complementary medicine web sites that endorse unproven cancer therapies attacked by clinicians

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 15 Apr 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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Senior clinicians have attacked complementary and alternative medicine websites that endorse unproven and dangerous cancer therapies.

Writing in the Annals of Oncology (http://annonc.oupjournals.org), Professor Edzard Ernst and colleagues at the Plymouth Peninsula Medical School in the UK, say: 'Generally speaking, the "cancer cures" discussed on these websites are not supported by good scientific evidence. Other sites are outright dangerous as they advise patients against using conventional therapies.'

Their reserch found that some websites promote unproven treatments such as shark cartilage, laetrile and mistletoe.

Overall, 16% provided information that discouraged patients from using conventional treatment, 3% discouraged patients from adhering to clinicians' advice, 91% provided opinions, experiences and factual details, and 22% provided mainly commercial details.

Of the therapies advertised, 118 were for a cure, 88 were for palliative care and 59 were for prevention.

'Our analysis has shown that many Web sites are not as reliable as one would hope. In the interests of cancer patients we should find ways of minimising the potential harm such misinformation may cause,' Professor Ernst said.

Reference: Ann Oncol 2004;15:737-746

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