Today, there’s a wealth of medical information available at our fingertips online. But this ease of access comes with a danger: Many of the health claims circulating on social media aren’t true, with rampant misinformation (false information) and disinformation (deliberately misleading information) filling our feeds. False information spreads faster than the truth online. When it comes to cancer, this misinformation and disinformation can be costly, harmful, and even fatal.
The Rise of Cancer Misinformation and Disinformation on Social Media
“There are a lot of voices on social media, and it can be hard to know what to trust and listen to,” says Eleonora Teplinsky, MD, head of breast and gynecologic medical oncology at Valley-Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care in Paramus, New Jersey, and clinical assistant professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Dr. Teplinsky points out that social media platforms tend to amplify accounts that have more followers and engagement, and doctors don’t typically have the massive followings that influencers do. This makes influencers’ voices louder, even if they’re spreading false information.
Another contributing factor: Online information isn’t regulated and often isn’t even fact-checked, says Robyn Roth, MD, a board-certified breast radiologist in New Jersey who runs the social media account @theboobiedocs to teach breast health.
People’s frustrations with the healthcare system may also play a part, notes Dr. Roth. “If you feel like your doctor is not spending enough time with you or listening to your concerns, but then there’s somebody on the internet who [appears to] have a solution to your problems, it’s very appealing to fall down that rabbit hole,” she says.
Add to this that people propagating cancer misinformation and disinformation online are targeting a vulnerable population — individuals who have or have had cancer, are at risk for developing it, or are afraid of getting cancer, says Roth. They are scared and searching for help and answers, and may more easily fall prey to false claims.
“It’s a perfect storm,” says Teplinsky.
Alternative Cancer Treatments vs. Complementary (Holistic) Cancer Treatments: There’s a Difference
Contributing to the confusion is that these two terms are often used interchangeably, when they actually have different meanings. Complementary or integrative (holistic) treatments refer to interventions that can be used alongside conventional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. While they don’t treat the cancer, they may be able to help with relieving cancer symptoms and treatment side effects, potentially improving a patient’s well-being and quality of life. For example, acupuncture, yoga, guided imagery, and massage fall into this category.
On the other hand, alternative treatments refer to unproven or disproven treatments used instead of standard medical treatments to attempt to treat or prevent cancer. Examples include special diets, certain supplements and herbs, and high doses of vitamins. Alternative treatments pose dangers on multiple fronts. First of all, they lack scientific evidence to support their efficacy: They either haven’t been tested in clinical trials or have been tested and found to be ineffective.
Another danger is that people may choose to forgo conventional evidence-based therapies in favor of pursuing this alternative route, which could have harmful — and even fatal — consequences.
3 Common Myths Debunked
Here are some of the most common (and dangerous) cancer myths circulating online — and what the truth is:
1. Myth: Mammograms Expose You to a Dangerous Amount of Radiation
Mammography actually only uses a very small amount of radiation, equivalent to about seven weeks of exposure to “background radiation,” which is radiation that naturally exists in the environment from sources like the sun, stars, and Earth, says Roth. “The amount [of radiation] in a mammogram is incredibly safe,” she says. “You shouldn’t be getting [a mammogram] more than once or twice a year, and the benefit of mammography far outweighs any potential risk of radiation.”
As for the benefits, mammograms can detect the potential presence of cancer before it grows and spreads enough to cause symptoms or be physically detected through a breast exam — up to three years before, in fact. And early detection can make a big difference in treatment options and outcomes.
“When we’re able to catch breast cancer at the earliest, most treatable stage, there are more treatment options available,” says Roth. This may also allow for less-invasive treatments, Teplinsky says.
Survival rates also decline as breast cancer becomes more advanced and spreads from its original site. When caught in the earliest stage, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer is greater than 99 percent. In the later stages, when the cancer has metastasized to distant regions of the body, this figure drops to 32 percent. The prognosis for patients is significantly better when breast cancer is caught earlier, and mammograms help enable this.
2. Myth: Supplements, Detoxes, and Fasting Can Cure or Prevent Cancer
Nothing can guarantee preventing the onset or recurrence of cancer, says Teplinsky. And there is no solid evidence to show that any type of supplements, detoxes, or fasting provides tangible benefits in treating cancer.
Not only will these types of methods not help, but they could cause harm. Supplements, for instance, aren’t regulated like prescription medications are. This means that the exact ingredients and their amounts as listed on the bottle might not be accurate, says Teplinsky. Additionally, some supplement companies use “proprietary blends” and therefore may not even disclose the ingredients at all.
“We don’t know how supplements are going to interact with [other medications] patients are already taking,” says Teplinsky. They also potentially pose risks for causing other health problems, like liver damage.
As for things like fasting, detoxes, and cleanses, they can sometimes lead to inadequate nutrition and may deprive cancer patients of the strength, energy, and nutrients they need to best tolerate treatment. Cancer cachexia, characterized by severe loss of muscle and fat, is already a risk for people with cancer. Limitations and deprivation surrounding food intake could exacerbate this, reducing both immune function and tolerance to treatment, leading to a poorer prognosis.
The bottom line: Before taking a new supplement or embarking on any kind of dietary regimen during or after cancer treatment, check with your oncologist to ensure that it’s safe for your particular situation.
3. Myth: Positive Thinking Can Shrink Tumors
“Our body, unfortunately, is not able to get rid of the cancer on its own,” says Teplinsky. “This is why we have medications that help our body get rid of the cancer.”
Believing that positive thinking can prevent or eliminate cancer can be dangerous, cautions Teplinsky, especially when people decide to forgo conventional treatment in favor of this path. A positive attitude is certainly welcome and may help with side effects and emotions, she says. But there’s no scientific data to support that it can make a difference when it comes to cancer.
How to Protect Yourself Against Online Health Misinformation and Disinformation
In the age of social media and artificial intelligence (AI), it’s getting harder and harder to discern myth from fact. Our experts recommend a few steps you can take to help protect yourself from dangerous health misinformation and disinformation online.
Check Their Credentials
Look up the credentials of the person posting the information, advises Teplinsky. Ideally, they should be a doctor or other medical professional who works in the oncology field. But don’t stop at glancing at the credential letters listed after their name in their social media bio. Google their name and see if you can connect them to a reputable hospital system, she says. Cross-reference to make sure they have a professional profile on that hospital’s website.
You’ll also want to check that this person is board-certified in the field of medicine that they’re advising on in their posts, says Roth. Board certification indicates that a physician has met a rigorous set of standards in their area of specialty. It’s also important to know that their area of medical practice is specifically in oncology; a dermatologist, pharmacist, or cosmetic surgeon who specializes in aesthetic procedures, for instance, shouldn’t be doling out advice about breast or gynecologic cancer treatment.
A caveat: Sometimes scammers impersonate reputable doctors online, and with the introduction of AI, this is unfortunately becoming easier to do. Due to this kind of identity theft, looking up a doctor’s background, credentials, and the hospital where they work isn’t foolproof, but it’s a start.
Look for a Financial Stake
Roth and Teplinsky agree: When you see health information online, one of the first things you should do is investigate if the person posting it has anything to gain financially. For example, they may be selling juice cleanses through an affiliate link, where they earn a commission on their sales. Or perhaps they have a paid partnership with a supplement company that they may or may not be disclosing.
Watch out for anything else they might be selling or promoting for their own financial gain, like a “cancer prevention” group coaching program or any kind of unapproved cancer screening, cautions Roth. When a price tag is attached, our experts warn, it’s a giant red flag.
Seek Out the Evidence
“Whenever I post [health information] on social media, I include a link to the [relevant] study,” says Teplinsky. She encourages people not to take online health information at face value. Look up the studies that support the information presented, she says.
This is where it can get complicated, though, cautions Teplinsky. Some people might reference scientific studies in their social media posts, but they’re not applicable to you and your medical situation — or to humans in general! For example, this could happen if a study was conducted solely on animals and hasn’t had any human trials, or if there was a human trial but only a handful of people participated. Additionally, a clinical trial done for a different type of cancer, or even a different subtype of the cancer type you have, might not apply to you.
It’s not the patient’s responsibility to sift through clinical trials online and try to figure this all out on their own, Teplinsky says. If you see information about a study online and you’re curious about it, send the link to your oncologist and ask them if this is a treatment option that might be right for you or worth considering, she says.
Run Everything by Your Medical Team
Whether the health information you see online is about supplements, juice cleanses, cancer surveillance and screening modalities, or anything else pertaining to cancer, the guidance from our experts is the same: Before you follow any advice you’ve seen online, it’s essential to run it by your medical team. They will be able to separate fact from fiction and help you take the evidence-based, medically appropriate course of action that’s best for you and your health and well-being.
Summing it up, Roth says: “Be careful out there.”
The Takeaway
Health misinformation and disinformation abound online, and it can be difficult to separate what’s true from what’s not.
Alternative cancer treatment myths proliferating on social media often have no scientific evidence to support them. Using them does not provide any benefits, and may even cause serious harm.
Evaluate all the health information you see online by verifying the credentials of the person posting the information, investigating whether they stand to gain any money from their claims, and seeing if credible medical and scientific studies support the information presented.
During and after cancer treatment, run every intervention or modality you’re considering trying by your oncologist first.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Walter Tsang, MD, is a board-certified medical oncologist, hematologist, and lifestyle medicine specialist. Inspired by the ancient Eastern philosophy of yang sheng ("nourishing life"), Dr. Tsang has developed a unique whole-person oncology approach that tailors cancer care and lifestyle recommendations to each patients’ biopsychosocial-spiritual circumstances. He partners with patients on their cancer journeys, emphasizing empowerment, prevention, holistic wellness, quality of life, supportive care, and realistic goals and expectations. This practice model improves clinical outcomes and reduces costs for both patients and the healthcare system.
Outside of his busy clinical practice, Tsang has taught various courses at UCLA Center for East West Medicine, Loma Linda University, and California University of Science and Medicine. He is passionate about health education and started an online seminar program to teach cancer survivors about nutrition, exercise, stress management, sleep health, and complementary healing methods. Over the years, he has given many presentations on integrative oncology and lifestyle medicine at community events. In addition, he was the founding co-chair of a lifestyle medicine cancer interest group, which promoted integrative medicine education and collaborations among oncology professionals.
Tsang is an active member of American Society of Clinical Oncology, Society for Integrative Oncology, and American College of Lifestyle Medicine. He currently practices at several locations in Southern California. His goal is to transform cancer care in the community, making it more integrative, person-centered, cost-effective and sustainable for the future.
Jennifer Garam is a BRCA1-positive ovarian cancer survivor and advocate, journalist, and speaker. In addition to being a regular contributor to Everyday Health, her articles and essays have appeared in The Washington Post, Allure.com, Self.com, RedbookMag.com, Vice.com, Prevention.com, Health.com, HuffPost, and PsychologyToday.com, among others.
Garam has been an expert speaker, moderator, and panelist at healthcare events and conferences in the United States and abroad. She aims to bring attention to important topics that are underrecognized and stigmatized and tell stories that aren't often told. She is passionate about patient education, the necessity of self-advocacy within the healthcare system, and equitable care and access to resources for marginalized individuals and communities. Outside of work, Jennifer is a voracious reader, yoga practitioner, and amateur dancer.
