News Center

Before modern-day technology like the internet, social media and podcasts, medical information was primarily spread through means such as medical journals, public health campaigns and direct provider consultations. While misinformation could still spread by word of mouth within communities, the influx in digital media and communication over the past several decades has substantially increased the amount of false information to which people are exposed.

From popular podcast hosts declaring that antiparasitic drugs ivermectin and fenbendazole cure cancer, to blogs claiming certain vitamins and supplements are cancer cures, it is not difficult to encounter misinformation about cancer care in our day-to-day lives, one-on-one interactions and casual media consumption.

While a cancer diagnosis is not necessarily an immediate death sentence, this is often the first thing that comes to people’s minds when they find out they have cancer. Because of this fear, those who are in the stressful position of receiving their diagnosis can be more susceptible to misinformation when researching their treatment options online or asking friends and family for advice.

Treatment decision making

One of the major ways that misinformation impacts cancer care is through patients making decisions for or against their cancer treatment plan.

“People worry that treatments such as chemotherapy may cause more harm than good,” said Mary Helen Hackney, M.D., MS, FACP, director of community oncology and medical oncologist at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center. “So people are often looking for information about what they say is ‘natural.’”

Misinformation about ‘natural’ alternatives to primary treatment modalities such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy can lead to worse outcomes and wasted dollars on ineffective treatments.

According to Hackney, many patients interested in nontraditional cancer care options either go down an alternative or complementary treatment path.

An alternative treatment path involves a patient completely rejecting traditional treatment options, while complementary treatment paths entail patients adding something extra to the standard-of-care approach.

While some unconventional treatments don’t impact the effectiveness of traditional treatments, certain vitamins and supplements can cause issues.

“Some of them don't cause many problems, but there are some that can interfere with treatment. Some of the drugs can actually inhibit the effectiveness of treatment,” said Hackney. “Some supplements have their own side effects such as diarrhea or elevated liver functions. So you don't know what's causing the problems sometimes.”

There are also cases where patients reject standard treatments altogether, or delay treatment while pursuing other avenues, only to try standard treatments once the cancer has progressed. This can have severe consequences as well.

“If someone delays treatment because they’re pursuing alternative medicine options, that can be lethal,” said Katherine Y. Tossas, Ph.D., MS, director of Catchment Area Data Analytics at Massey.

For example, if someone takes an herbal supplement and it eliminates their symptoms, they may be misled to believe that they are cancer-free, but that is not the case.

“If patients don't walk down the path of what we have some data about, then at some point, the cancer is going to become uncontrollable, and that can lead to an earlier and more painful death,” Hackney said. “There are many interventions available for cancer treatment. Maybe we can't get rid of it forever, but we can slow progression down, gain some long-term control and possibly even cure it. We can certainly help control pain and the side effects when people get advanced cancer.”

Where is misinformation coming from and why?

From the internet and social media to more traditional forms of media, misinformation can come from a number of different sources.

Media consumption largely depends on demographic factors such as age, race and ethnicity. For instance, older adults may be more prone to scrolling on Facebook or watching the morning news on TV, while younger folks often gravitate toward other platforms such as Instagram or TikTok.

Misinformation can appear to spread more rapidly in the digital realm, but it can also circulate quickly among friends and families.

“It’s not intentional, but people often share anecdotal stories, and sometimes they just don’t know they’re spreading inaccurate information,” said Kim Rhoads, M.D., M.S., MPH, associate director of community outreach and engagement at Massey.

A lack of open discussion about cancer amongst families can also drive forward a misconception that if you develop cancer, it is because you did something wrong. While this is not true, this idea can lead to greater feelings of shame and anxiety around a diagnosis.

“Some healthcare institutions have helped to stigmatize that, and people don't want to get screened, because they don't want to know, and they don't want to talk about it. A misconception that's actually at the core of that is this idea that all cancers are preventable,” said Rhoads. “They're not.”

Many people also have a general distrust of the healthcare industry as a whole due to historical mistreatment.

“We can go back to any number of incidents, including the Tuskegee syphilis experiments and experiments during World War II, there are so many bad experiences,” said Hackney. “I hope that the openness that we have now about what we're doing for treatment is improving some of that. We still see some mistrust in trying to get people involved in clinical trials.”

How to combat misinformation

There’s no quick and easy fix to get rid of misinformation, but there are ways that we can all help improve our discernment of the information we hear and read.

One of the most straightforward methods to finding credible information is by searching for information from accredited institutions, such as:

• American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
• American Cancer Society (ACS)
• American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)
• American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
• National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)
• National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center

Having direct and honest conversations with your provider is another way to verify information that you encounter online or in conversation with friends and family. It’s important to find a healthcare provider who you can trust and confide in.

“You want a provider who can sit with you and figure out how to partner in your healing,” said Tossas. “Partnering may mean you hear something you don’t like, and that’s okay. But it may also mean that you will learn a few things.”

However, if you don’t feel fully comfortable with your provider, or you’re simply curious to hear what others may recommend for your treatment, there’s no harm in speaking to other medical professionals about your care.

“If somebody has been diagnosed with cancer and they question what the proposed treatment is, it never hurts to get a second opinion,” said Hackney. “Getting a second opinion from another oncologist is gaining knowledge, and with knowledge you gain power. And with power, you can make good decisions.”

Written by: Tatiana Del Valle