Dr. Google does not always know what is best.

When faced with a real or potential diagnosis of cancer, most people are inclined to consult Dr. Google, often before seeing a real live medical expert. Unfortunately, Dr. Google does not always know what is best.

A generation ago, patients relied heavily on doctors to find out how to best treat a disease such as cancer.

Nowadays, the Internet is filled with a veritable tsunami of information offered by all kinds of sources, ranging from experts with factual facts to people selling products or charlatans.

The trick is to know how to make a difference, especially as the different tips provided can become a matter of life and death.

"It's easy for people to land on a site filled with false information that leads them to make decisions that may not be in their best interest," said Dr. Lidia Schapira, an oncologist at the Medical Center. Stanford University. She is editor-in-chief of the highly reliable www.cancer.net website, which provides clear, scientifically validated information about cancer and its treatment for patients, their families and friends.

As a bad cancer specialist, Schapira has treated women who refuse postoperative treatment with a drug like tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor because they read on the internet that the treatments are harmful, despite extensive studies showing that they can help prevent recurrence of bad cancer. "Conviction of harm is an emotional reaction and it is very difficult for a doctor to talk about facts with emotions," she said.

POOR INFORMATION IS HARMFUL

As the American Cancer Society points out, "Wrong information can hurt you in the treatment of cancer. Much of the information on the Internet about cancer is based on opinions, sales techniques, and testimonials, and is not based on sound science. Anyone can post any type of information online, and some people may transmit limited, inaccurate or simply false information. Some even try to deceive you. "

Worried about an unexplained symptom? The Internet offers about two dozen "symptom checkers," and patients may panic by searching the Web for their symptoms and identifying cancer as a possible cause.

Cancer can cause just about any symptoms, from persistent cough to chronic constipation, but a qualified doctor can easily exclude cancer by conducting an appropriate medical examination and examining the patient's personal and family history.

Last year, at The Hartford Courant, Dr. David W. Wolpaw, a family physician in Manchester, Connecticut, described a man in his twenties suffering from an illness. sore throat who did a search on the internet and thought he had a cancer of the mouth. The doctor reported that the man lacked cancer risk factors and an examination showed that there was nothing worse than a cold.

"People should not expect a website to replace their doctor," wrote Wolpaw. In addition to having completed many years of study and practical experience, "your doctor knows you much better than the Internet, your medical history, your family history, your risk factors, etc." In addition, he wrote, "sites may seem reliable even when they display information that is not supported by scientific evidence."

People looking for the latest iteration of snake oil will surely find it on the web. Stay away! The cancer society recommends being wary of any message with claims such as "scientific breakthrough", "secret ingredient", "miraculous cure" or "ancient cure", as well as products offering money back guarantee, available from a single source or reputed to cure a wide range of ailments.

That said, people with cancer can often get valuable information and support via the Internet. "The Internet can be a tool that can give people access to good, scientifically verified information," Schapira said. "It can help patients better prepare for an expert consultation. And after such a consultation, they can check the wisdom of the advice they received. "

She suggests relying on Web resources that are free of commercial interests. Even sites posted by medical institutions can be self-promotional. In addition to www.cancer.net, prepared by members of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Schapira has recommended information provided by the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org) and the National Cancer Institute (www.cancer.gov). , as well as the free branch of a site called UpToDate, which translates in simple terms the best information available to doctors.

The Cancer Institute notes that the three letters attached to the domain name of a site can give people an overview of the independence and validity of the information it contains; the best is to choose .edu or .gov on .com.

In addition to providing valuable information and advice to reputable sources, the Internet can help patients obtain psychosocial support through online groups.

Danielle Gentile, of the Atrium Health Institute of Charlotte, North Carolina, of the Levine Cancer Institute, badyzed 170 patient studies using information technologies. Social media communities can be very helpful for patients lacking personal social support.

Cancer patients can converse with others, anonymously or not, about emotional and spiritual issues, and get helpful practical tips on treating treatment-related issues.

But while some online communities "are organized by health professionals, others can be posted by people who have no scientific knowledge," Schapira warned. The information that patients glean through these secular communities is better discussed with their doctors lest they be led on the wrong advice.

She also suggested not urging patients to look for their cancers until they are emotionally and intellectually ready to process the information they have discovered.

"It might be better to let others check things," she said. "Different people need different information at different times. Some people are not ready to absorb all the information from the start, which is quite normal. Some want to receive the information but entrust the decisions to the experts, while others want to participate in the decision making. "

Do not be afraid to discuss alternative remedies with doctors treating your cancer, and be sure to tell them what remedy you plan to try in case it could interact poorly with the prescribed treatments. Almost all major medical centers now have departments of integrative medicine, and today's oncologists know very well how much the mind can affect the well-being of the body, Schapira said.