Misinformation prevalent in cancer articles on social media: Study - Devdiscourse

One-third of the most popular cancer treatment articles on social media contain misinformation, a vast majority of which could potentially harm cancer patients by supporting approaches that could negatively impact the quality of their treatment and chances for survival, reveals a new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The study, led by Skyler Johnson, MD, Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) physician-scientist and assistant professor of radiation oncology at the University of Utah (U of U), also reveals that articles containing misinformation garner more attention and engagement than articles with evidence-based information.

The research team, comprising experts in cancer care, health outcomes, and communications, convened medical expert panels to review and assess the claims presented in 200 of the most popular articles on social media sites, with a focus on articles related to breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers.