[Internet as a tool in oncology: critical analysis]

Internet use is a necessity for medical practitioners. It is the main source of articles, health information but can also be an help for decision making: what is the best treatment option? Where do I refer a patient? How should I manage medication in case of renal or hepatic impairments? Prognosis calculators are available and may help to decide if an adjuvant treatment is necessary or not. It is sometimes difficult to evaluate the scientific relevance. The purpose of this article is to review the different ways of using Internet in the decision process in oncology. Each subtypes of websites is exposed and discussed. Finally, a simple way of evaluating the validity of an Internet-based medical tool is proposed.