Assessing Cancer Patients' Exposure to Treatment Misinformation

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Communication
• Patient Education

Background:

• Cancer treatment misinformation (CTM) poses a significant threat to patient care and outcomes.
• Assessing patient exposure to CTM is crucial for developing effective interventions.
• A validated tool is needed to measure CTM exposure accurately.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patient exposure to cancer treatment misinformation (CTM) using the Exposure to Cancer Treatment Misinformation (ECTM) survey.
• To operationalize CTM as including unproven treatments, foregoing conventional care, and accepting myths.
• To assess the utility of the ECTM survey in capturing CTM exposure dimensions.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 110 participants with a cancer diagnosis.
• Participants identified non-evidence-based cancer treatments they had encountered.
• The survey assessed CTM types, sources, and exposure patterns (seeking vs. scanning).

Main Results:

• A high prevalence of CTM exposure was observed, with 93% reporting exposure to at least one form.
• 79% encountered cancer myths or misconceptions identified by the National Cancer Institute.
• Passive exposure, primarily from friends and family, was more common than active information-seeking.

Conclusions:

• The ECTM survey is a useful tool for assessing multiple facets of CTM exposure.
• Findings highlight the prevalence of CTM and the importance of social networks as sources.
• Future research should validate the ECTM survey and explore patient-oncologist communication regarding CTM.