A cancer diagnosis in an Internet era brings many positive elements: online support, medical information at your fingertips and new ways to connect with others who share your diagnosis. Sorting through mountains of information can be overwhelming and some very determined criminals know that. When reviewing various treatment options it’s important to work with your medical team, and informed fellow patients, to avoid being ripped off or even putting your health in jeopardy by falling for a scam.
Miracle “cures” for cancer come in many forms – pills, herbs, powder, plants, home products, and more. They come in as advertisements, emails, even as pass throughs from friends and family who care about the patient and think they are helping.
Many of these scams have been around for decades and are well known to clinical professionals and more experienced patients. In the U.S. the national consumer protection agency, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), says it’s a good idea to talk to your oncologist about any products you’d like to try. In many cases, the product can have serious repercussions: it won’t treat the cancer; and it could even harm you. Asking questions is the best way to satisfy your curiosity and manage your treatment wisely.
Cancer treatment providers often use the terms complementary and alternative medicine. These terms can refer to legitimate helpful treatments, but they can also refer to risky products and treatment courses. Complementary therapies are meant to enhance standard medical treatment like surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. Your treatment team can tell you whether there’s any proof that a complementary therapy may help reduce your discomfort or other symptoms.
Alternative therapies are meant to replace conventional cancer treatment. Reputable medical and cancer experts generally do not recommend alternative products and practices because there’s no proof that they are effective treatments for cancer. Many can even be harmful. Remember that stopping or delaying conventional treatment may have serious consequences.
Products claiming to treat or cure cancer have been around since the old-fashioned snake oil days. Today the term “natural” is often the buzz word used to sell these “miracle” treatments, often with claims that there’s a government conspiracy to keep the “secret” from patients.
All cancers are different, and no one treatment works for every cancer or every body. Even two people with the same diagnosis may need different treatments. That’s one reason it’s best to be skeptical of websites with ads for products that claim to treat cancer.
Scammers take advantage of the feelings that can accompany a diagnosis of cancer. They promote unproven – and potentially dangerous – remedies like black salve, essiac tea, or laetrile with claims that the products are both “natural” and effective. But “natural” doesn’t mean either safe or effective when it comes to using these treatments for cancer. In fact, a product that is labeled “natural,” can be more than ineffective: it can be downright harmful.
Bogus marketers often use trickery and vague language to take advantage of people. For example, testimonials in ads can seem honest and heart-felt, but they can be completely fake: in fact, they may not disclose that actors or models have been paid to endorse the product. Even when testimonials come from people who have taken the product, personal stories aren’t reliable evidence of effectiveness. Lots of technical jargon may sound impressive, but by itself, doesn’t prove effectiveness. Big words from a medical dictionary are no substitute for plain facts from your medical team.
A money-back guarantee doesn’t prove that a product works, either. Even if the guarantee that you’re promised is legitimate, a money-back guarantee definitely is not a reliable substitute for scientific evidence that a treatment is safe or effective.
The FTC works to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complain, or get free information, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261.
The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
Resources:
Cancer treatments:
www.cancer.gov/Cancerinformation
http://nccam.nih.gov/health
Cancer treatment scams:
http://www.ftc.gov/curious
How to file a complaint (video):
http://www.ftc.gov/multimedia/video/scam-watch/file-a-complaint.shtm
Consumer Sentinel Network:
http://www.ftc.gov/sentinel/