A recent analysis of cancer ads has revealed that most are emotional instead of informational, causing unrealistic expectations and demand for unnecessary services.
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh led by Dr. Yael Schenker looked into 409 cancer ads from 102 medical centers. These ads were published and shown in various magazines and TV networks in 2012.
After careful analysis of the cancer ads, the researchers found that the advertisements promoted treatments at a much higher rate than they pushed screenings and preventative interventions. The findings stated treatment was encouraged in 88 percent of the ads, while precautionary measures were promoted at a mere 18 percent.
The ads also targeted emotions, with 61 percent giving hope for survival and 41 percent comparing cancer treatments with life battles. Half of the ads included testimonials from cancer survivors while five percent featured celebrities.
“Cancer treatments were promoted far more often than screening services,” Schenker said to Reuters. "Also very little information was provided about these services such as risks, benefit and costs.”
The research team noted that the ads were not all emotions - some offered helpful facts too. But those facts were minimal: two percent presented the risks of cancer treatments, five percent showed the costs and 25 percent discussed the benefits of cancer treatments and screenings.
About 85 percent of the ads did not include disclaimers that the results of the cancer treatments may vary per person.
Dr. Schenker warned patients of the misleading presentations cancer ads could produce.
“We would caution patients not to rely on cancer center advertisements when making cancer treatment decisions,” Schenker said to Reuters.
Dr. Gregory Abel, a cancer specialist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute who was not part of the study, warned that U.S. legislators could ban these ads once it was officially proven that they were, indeed, misleading.
"The next step would be to ask a cohort of cancer patients if they are aware of cancer center advertisements, and try to assess if their exposure to the ads has affected their feelings and behavior," Dr. Abel told Healthday News.
The study was published in the May 26 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
