While medicine advances in a growing scenario of incidence of Cancer, Disease that according to the World Health Organization (WHO) is responsible for 22 million new global diagnoses annually, a silent threat grows on screens: Online Disinformation.
On World Cancer Day this Tuesday, April 8, experts warn: now it is also digital. THE CNN, Doctors show concern about the broadcast of fake news.
This is because promises of miraculous healing and treatments without scientific basis circulate freely on social networks, endangering patients’ adherence to proven and potentially saving therapies.
“Among miraculous revenues, alternative treatments without scientific endorsement and celebrity advice, cancer patients are bombarded with potentially dangerous information that can compromise their treatments or even lead them to abandon proven effective therapies,” explains Carlos Gil Ferreira, medical director of OnCoclinicos & CO.
A recent study analyzed 200 Tiktok cancer videos and found that 81% of them contained unreliable information. What has been called “Tik Health” has become a primary source of information for many people, especially young people, replacing medical appointments and reliable sources.
Celebrities and influencers: the danger of amplification
In January of this year, actor Mel Gibson stated in the Podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, who reaches millions of listeners, that three friends with advanced cancer would have been healed with Ivermectin and Fenbendazole – medicines approved only to treat parasitic infections without any scientific evidence of cancer effectiveness.
“When a public figure makes statements like this, the impact is immense. We have patients coming to the office wanting to interrupt the prescribed therapeutic conduct to take medicine freely sold in pharmacies for other purposes because they heard it works,” says Ferreira.
It is not an isolated case. In 2015, Belle Gibson, an Australian influencer, admitted that he had frauduled his healing history of supposed terminal cancer through diets and alternative therapies. Prior to that, she had built an empire that included an Apple -promoted health application and a prescription book published by a large publisher.
Misleading narratives commonly follow identifiable patterns: reports of miraculous cures, conspiracy theories about the treatments suppressed by the pharmaceutical industry, and the promotion of “natural” products that allegedly fight tumors without the side effects of conventional treatments.
Dangerous interference in treatment
“Many patients do not understand that even ‘natural’ supplements can severely interfere with the results of the prescribed conduct,” warns the oncologist. “These interference may not only reduce the effectiveness of cancer treatments, but also significantly enhanced side effects.”
Ferreira explains that certain substances can interact with, increasing toxicities or reducing the effectiveness of therapies actually indicated by the health professional. “We had cases of patients who developed French health problems by consuming ‘detoxifying’ teas during chemotherapy without communicating this to the clinical staff responsible for the care line. Others suffered bleeding by combining certain supplements with anticoagulants used during treatment.”
A report released by the Brazilian Society of Clinical Oncology (SBOC) in March points out that about 65% of cancer patients use some type of complementary therapy, but only 30% report their doctors about this practice.
Looking for miracles
The psychological vulnerability that accompanies the diagnosis of cancer creates fertile ground for the dissemination of false hopes. “When someone receives a cancer diagnosis, especially at an advanced stage, there is a natural desperation that can make any attractive cure promise,” explains Cristiane Bergerot, piscologist and leader of the Specialty Multidisciplinary Team on OnCoclínicas & Co.
There are also situations of patients in fact diagnosed as tumors, such as Jessica Ainscough, known on social media such as “The Wellness Warrior.” The Australian influencer gained notoriety by rejecting conventional treatments for rare cancer in favor of controversial therapy Gerson.
This alternative treatment, developed by Max Gerson in the 1920s, consists of a rigorous organic vegetarian diet, fresh fruits and vegetable juices, various supplements and frequent coffee and enemas – a central process element, justified by defenders as essential to detoxify the liver and help to eliminate toxins, allegedly increasing glutathione levels and stimulating. Ainscough passed away in 2015, seven years after the diagnosis.
“Cases like hers are tragic because, besides individual loss, they inspire other patients to go the same way, postponing or rejecting treatments that could save their lives,” comments Bergerot.
It is important to highlight that Gerson therapy has no scientific proof as an effective treatment against cancer and is not recognized by medicine. “Respected medical organizations, such as American Cancer Society (ACS) and SBOC, warn that abandoning conventional treatments in favor of this type of conduct without supporting studies that prove their effectiveness can be dangerous and compromise the health of cancer patients,” adds Ferreira.
ParaSocial Relations and Digital Confidence
Researchers at the University of Portsmouth in the UK have identified that part of the power of health influencers comes from the so -called “parasocial relations” – unilateral emotional connections in which followers develop a sense of intimacy and confidence with people who have never met personally.
“It is an extremely powerful psychological phenomenon. Followers feel that they know the influencer, trust him how they would trust a close friend, and this can even overcome confidence in health professionals who dedicated decades to cancer study and treatment,” says Bergerot.
To help patients and family members sail through this challenging scenario, Carlos Gil Ferreira and Cristiane Bergerot recommend:
- Always check the source: Information on treatments should come from recognized medical institutions or studies published in respected scientific journals.
- Communicating everything to the doctor: Any supplement, special diet or complementary therapy should be discussed with the medical team.
- To distrust “miraculous healings”: if something looks too good to be true, it’s probably.
- Seek certified support groups: organizations such as the Brazilian Cancer Patient Support Association and the Oncoguia Institute offer emotional support based on reliable information.
“On World Cancer Day, we need to remember that quality information saves lives. As important as developing new treatments is to ensure that patients have access to proven therapies, without being diverted by empty promises that can cost precious treatment time and, in many cases, life itself,” concludes the medical director of Oncoclinicos & CO.
