J Clin Oncol. 2012 May 1;30(13):1411-4. Epub 2012 Feb 21.
Risks of online direct-to-consumer tumor markers for cancer screening.
"Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. Given the emotional impact of a potential cancer diagnosis, patients often search for methods of early detection. Moreover, with a growing direct-to-consumer (DTC) industry advertising medical products online, patients are increasingly empowered to seek out cancer diagnoses and treatments without qualified medical guidance. Indeed, a 2005 National Cancer Institute survey found 50% of respondents would seek online cancer-related information before physician consultation.1 Yet, problematically, studies have highlighted fraudulent claims made by online DTC medical product marketing as well as dangers associated with various disease-based DTC screening tests.2–4
These concerns have expanded to cancer. Online DTC screening tests currently include a spectrum of tumor markers for a panoply of cancers. Yet DTC marketing of cancer screening is particularly concerning because of diagnosis complexity, technical analysis of markers, and critical early diagnosis for best treatment results. DTC cancer screening with tumor markers therefore poses a significant threat to patient safety and public health."
No comments:
Post a Comment