Cervical Cancer: Googling for Facts

Cervical Cancer: Googling for Facts

In the age of the Internet, one of the first things a patient often does when diagnosed with a confusing and frightening ailment like cervical cancer is to search for information that illness on the World Wide Web, and attempt to learn more about her diagnosis. Often, doctor's information can seem confusing, and websites can perform a helpful function of putting the disease into layperson's terms, and provide advice about living with the illness, as opposed to medical jargon. However, a great deal of misinformation exists on the World Wide Web as well, particularly when exploring information about alternative therapies.

Valid Site: The American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society provides medically valid information about cancer, as well as information and statistics about various treatment, and various complications and side effects from the illness and conventional and alternative forms of treatment. It also explains risk and preventative measures that people who are worried about cancer can consider, when contemplating going for a screening. It establishes its credentials simply by the fact that its informative site is maintained by one of the most well-respected and well-known organizations devoted to cancer prevention, awareness, and support, and also because of its honesty about the difficulties incurred by some cancer therapies, such as the sterility frequently caused by radiation, and the fact that chemotherapy can trigger premature menopause.

Alternative therapies are not suggested as alternatives to surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. The site notes that vitamins, herbs, or dietary supplements, or procedures such as acupuncture, massage, and a host of other types of treatment may or may not be helpful for some types of cancer. It notes preliminary research is being conducted on some treatments. It provides a link to reliable information on variety of alternative therapies, such as the "Greek Cancer Cure" which involves a series of injections and/or nutritional supplements including brown sugar, nicotinic acid (also known as niacin or vitamin B3), vitamin C, and alanine. The ACS notes that the developer of this therapy has his license suspended, and that the treatment is not only ineffective, but is also harmful, because patients are not allowed to use radiation or chemotherapy during the 'cure.'

Another form of alternative therapy is metabolic therapy, such as Issels whole body therapy, where patients are asked to remove dental fillings containing mercury, not drink caffeine, use tobacco, follow a strict diet, and have stress-relieving psychotherapy. Fairly, the ACS notes there is general agreement among scientists that there are differences in the metabolism of certain cells in people with cancer compared to people without cancer, and that a healthy diet and a positive mindset is important during and after treatment, but adds there is little evidence to support metabolic theories. Also, dangerous nutritional deficiencies can occur due to the nature of some restricted diets.

The ACS site includes statistical evidence that has been conducted by well-reputed research authorities to support its own cautious health claims. The ACS seems to contain a relatively balanced and unbiased approach, not categorically endorsing any treatment, for every patient, with every type of cancer. Its list of references, provided by a link on the site, contains numerous outside scholarly journals, as well as individuals associated with the ACS. It also provides helpful guidelines for talking to a patient's doctor about therapies to support conventional treatments, underlining the fact that the Internet cannot be a sole source of a patient's information, and every patient's state of health is different. The site is one of the first that arises upon a Google search for cervical cancer. For cancer patients who wish to have more information, it provides links to reliable websites and brochures, one of which is in Spanish.

An Invalid Site: Dr. Day's nutritional supplement, metabolic diet, and prayer-based therapy