Fake cancer stories are causing huge amount of distress to people living with the illness
A cancer charity has appointed a dedicated digital nurse to combat fake news online.
Macmillan Cancer Support says it fears cancer patients are turning to unverified websites for information that leaves them needlessly frightened and at risk of bogus cures.
It highlights the example of one online search which brings up a website claiming chemotherapy is a bigger killer than cancer itself, while another site reports that baking soda can cure breast cancer.
The digital nurse, based in Glasgow, will be dedicated to answering questions from people affected by cancer online, on the charity’s social media platforms and its online community.
Macmillan’s head in Scotland, Janice Preston said: “It’s understandable that people go online to look up their diagnosis, but it’s vital they get information from reliable sources.
“As well as fantastic information and support, the web is full of unverified statistics, fake news and horror stories that can cause people unnecessary worry and distress.
“It’s important people have access to trusted information online and know how to separate websites that are accurate and reputable from those with incorrect or even dangerous information.
“We hope our new digital nurse help people who want to find answers online. She will be there to answer questions from people across the UK about cancer and make sure they get the information they desperately need.”
The appointment comes as Macmillan research, conducted by YouGov, found that more than a third (37%) of people in Scotland with cancer looked up information about their diagnosis online.
Of those, one in 10 said they went online because they didn’t fully understand what they’d been told about their cancer.
The charity want health professionals to make sure patients fully understand their illness and direct them to reputable sources of information online.
Macmillan’s digital nurse Specialist, Ellen McPake (pictured), said: “As more and more people seek information about their cancer online, we want them to know that charities like Macmillan are able to offer reliable health advice.
“In my new role, I’m there to make sure people affected by cancer have a real person they can turn to online for information about their symptoms, cancer diagnosis and treatment.”
How online information left me panicking
Headteacher Kay Robertson, 51, used the internet extensively to find information about her illness, after being diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer in March 2014 and when it returned in May 2016.
The mum-of-two said: “I googled everything, all the way through my cancer. I was lucky that I had a fantastic consultant and a Macmillan nurse who explained things really well, but there was always something I needed to look up.
"Everyone is just so used to getting information instantly now that going online is inevitable.
“There is so much false information out there. I was careful to only look at websites I knew I could trust like Macmillan or the NHS.
“At my school we teach children that anyone can put up anything online so I was really careful not to go on any sites that didn’t look right.”
In September, Kay found that even accurate information can cause worry when she was diagnosed with sepsis.
The Crieff woman, who is now fully recovered, said: “I was feeling really ill and worried the symptoms were the cancer coming back.
When I was told it was sepsis I didn’t really know anything about it.
“I was in hospital and asked my husband to google it. The first thing he found was that it was a life-threatening condition. He didn’t tell me that at the time though.
"It’s too easy to go online and find the worst case scenario.”
