70% of cancer patients find misinformation about cancer treatments on social media. Exposure to news that is inaccurate or completely without scientific basis affects those who are dealing with cancer more. In fact, online fake news about treatments affects “only” 52% of web users who are not affected by a neoplasm.
Furthermore, 23% of patients and their caregivers have received advice on alleged “alternative anti-cancer methods”. These data are contained in a recent study published in the journal JMIR Cancer. To remedy this worrying phenomenon, the second edition of the first university specialization course in “Communicating cancer, medicine and health” is starting. It is promoted by the Polytechnic University of Marche and is also made possible thanks to the support of the Loto ODV and Anvolt ODV Associations. 25 places are available, it will take place in hybrid mode on a fortnightly basis and will last six months. Classes will begin on May 10th while the deadline for submitting applications is April 15th. A multidisciplinary team of professionals will teach participants how to deal with information and communication on medicine and health issues, with particular regard to the oncology field. An increasingly relevant topic given that tumors affect a total of over 3 million 700 thousand men and women in Italy. They also represent the second cause of death with more than 177 thousand deaths a year, in our country alone.
“Also thanks to correct communication we can defeat oncological diseases – states Rossana Berardi, Professor of Medical Oncology at the Polytechnic University of Marche -. We are talking about a heterogeneous group of over 200 different pathologies, some of which are now easily treatable. Others however still have decidedly low survival rates five years after diagnosis. It has been proven that effective communication between patient and doctor increases people’s satisfaction, reduces stress, promotes faster recovery and improves pain control, adherence to treatment and quality of life”. The specialization course is part of a larger project, ‘comunicareilcancro’, which includes a dedicated portal (www.comunicareilcancro.it) and profiles on the main social networks.
“After the great success of the first edition we decided to replicate with a new one which includes big innovations – underlines Mauro Boldrini, Director of Communication at Aiom (Italian Association of Medical Oncology) -. In the last year we have witnessed the end of the emergency linked to the pandemic and at the beginning, or continuation, of serious international crises. All this has diverted attention from the topic of fake news in medicine which is instead a worrying phenomenon that is continuing.” “Appropriately trained journalists, health workers, employees of press offices, public relations offices and spokespersons of health companies can be a ‘compass’ for the entire population and help them orient themselves in an unmanageable sea of information, often unfortunately false”, concludes Mauro Silvestrini, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the Polytechnic University of Marche.
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