Evaluating the information

Conventional treatments are tested and proven to be helpful in studies of large numbers of people. It's important that complementary therapies be assessed the same way as conventional treatments, through careful scientific studies.

Evaluating information about therapies and scientific studies may be new to you. The following suggestions should help.

When looking at a study, think about the nature and the source of the information. Make sure:

It comes from a reliable and trustworthy source. If a study is written by the maker or provider of the therapy, it may be biased.
It has been evaluated using scientific studies and reviewed by experts in the field. Avoid claims that seem doubtful, but are made to look like scientific research by quoting “experts”, citing statistics and using scientific language without listing the references to published scientific articles.
It's written up or backed up in credible scientific journals (for example, those listed on the public online database PubMed). The scientific references should be listed and easy to find.
The information doesn’t rely on people’s stories or testimonials.
It includes information about the potential risks or side effects of the therapy.
The study relates to your type of cancer.
The study is done in humans and not only in animals.

Look at what the therapy claims to do. A claim to cure cancer with complementary or alternative therapies is always suspicious. A claim to ease side effects or symptoms should be carefully examined.

Fraudulent claims may be difficult to detect. The Competition Bureau’s Project False Hope can help you identify false information and stop online health fraud. Fighting cancer is hard enough – don’t let fraud make it harder.

Last modified on: 13 September 2011