What is the alternative? Responding strategically to cancer misinformation

Background Alternative cancer therapy is associated with increased mortality, but little is known about those who pursue it. Objective We aimed to describe individuals’ motivations for using alternative cancer therapies and determine whether motivations differ based on individuals’ timing of seeking alternative therapies. Methods We used data from 649 campaigns posted on the website GoFundMe between 2011 and 2019 for beneficiaries with cancer pursuing alternative therapy. The data were analyzed using a mixed methods approach. Campaigns were categorized by timing of alternative therapy (either before or after experiencing conventional therapy). Qualitative analysis identified motivational themes. Chi-square tests of independence and Fisher tests (all 2-sided) determined significant differences in the presence of motivational themes between groups. Results The expression of concerns about the efficacy of conventional therapy was significantly more likely in campaigns for individuals who used conventional therapy first than in campaigns for individuals who started with alternative therapy (63.3% vs 41.7%; P<.001). Moreover, on comparing those who started with alternative therapy and those who switched from conventional to alternative therapy, those who started with alternative therapy more often expressed natural and holistic values (49.3% vs 27.0%; P<.001), expressed an unorthodox understanding of cancer (25.5% vs 16.4%; P=.004), referenced religious or spiritual beliefs (15.1% vs 8.9%; P=.01), perceived alternative treatment as efficacious (19.1% vs 10.2%; P=.001), and distrusted pharmaceutical companies (3.2% vs 0.5%; P=.04). Conclusions Individuals sought treatments that reflected their values and beliefs, even if scientifically unfounded. Many individuals who reported prior conventional cancer therapy were motivated to pursue alternative treatments because they perceived the conventional treatments to be ineffective.

Having a good understanding of cancer patients’ health literacy in the early stage of diagnosis can help to implement strategies to improve the management process and overall health outcomes. The study aims to describe health literacy and its association with socio-demographic characteristics among newly admitted cancer patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 262 newly admitted patients of a cancer hospital in Vietnam using the Vietnamese version of the HLS-SF12 questionnaire. Descriptive analytics and regression analysis were used to describe health literacy and examine associated factors. Older age, lower level of education, and living in rural areas were associated with lower health literacy while there was no significant relationship between gender and health literacy among newly admitted cancer patients. Many newly admitted patients, especially the older patients have difficulties understanding the different treatment options (54%) and evaluating the reliability of health information on the internet (43%). During the early stage of treatment, strategies should be implemented with regards to patients’ health literacy, to properly educate patients and their caregivers to improve communication, adherence to medication, lifestyle, and overall better quality of life and treatment outcome.

Background: Previous research has found that individuals may travel outside their home countries in pursuit of alternative cancer therapies (ACT). The goal of this study is to compare individuals in the United States who propose plans for travel abroad for ACT, compared with individuals who seek ACT domestically.Methods: Clinical and treatment data were extracted from campaign descriptions of 615 GoFundMe® campaigns fundraising for individuals in the United States seeking ACT between 2011 and 2019. We examined treatment modalities, treatment location, fundraising metrics, and online engagement within campaign profiles. Clinical and demographic differences between those who proposed international travel and those who sought ACT domestically were examined using two-sided Fisher's exact tests. Differences in financial and social engagement data were examined using two-sided Mann-Whitney tests.Results: Of the total 615 campaigns, 237 (38.5%) mentioned plans to travel internationally for ACT, with the majority (81.9%) pursuing travel to Mexico.