Beware of deceptive videos about prostate cancer on YouTube, warn scientists



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Scientists have warned that popular videos broadcasting medical information about prostate cancer on YouTube pose health risks, scientists point out

Many people are turning to the Internet in search of health. More detailed information on health issues, YouTube being the preferred place to explain type and advice videos.

But research has shown that 77% of the 150 most viewed videos on the site regarding the disease contained factual errors or biased content, in the video section or in the comments section.

Our study shows that people really need to be wary of many YouTube videos about prostate cancer

The study, conducted by the School of Medicine and the Perlmutter Cancer Center at New York University, has revealed that three-quarters of the videos described the benefits of some treatments, only about half (53%) provided sufficient detail about the disadvantages and potential side effects.

"Our study shows that people really need to be wary of many YouTube videos about prostate cancer," said Stacy Loeb, Senior Investigator and Urologist, he published the findings in the journal European Urology.

"They contain valuable information, but users need to check the source for credibility and be cautious about how quickly the videos become obsolete. Guidelines for care are constantly evolving with science. "

Patients are advised to seek information from serious sources recommended by their health care provider (Rui Vieira / PA)

[19659002] Substantially untested alternative or complementary therapies have been recommended in 19% of videos, one case having favored the "injection of herbs" into the prostate, which, according to scientists, is potentially harmful and does not rely on any medical evidence.

Dr. Loeb admitted that the number of videos on YouTube prevents medical experts from constantly reviewing, but health professionals and viewers are encouraged to use the reporting feature to inform the platform of Google-owned video sharing any misleading information that they notice.

Reliable sources should also be.

"We are a company engaged in access to information, but nothing happens on YouTube," said a YouTube spokeswoman.

"We have created a community guide, it lays out the rules of the road for what we do not allow, and when the videos that are reported violate our rules, we delete them." The video that we believe conforms to our guidelines will remain on the site. "

– Press Association

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