"Science can never be a closed book. It is like a tree, ever growing, ever reaching new heights. Occasionally the lower branches, no longer giving nourishment to the tree, slough off. We should not be ashamed to change our methods; rather we should be ashamed never to do so."
- Charles V. Chapin (1856-1941)
More than 600 million people surf the Internet, and an estimated 36% to 55% of them use it to gather medical information, according to an article published in the April 14 issue of the Annals of Oncology.
Authors of this article, based at the Peninsula Medical School at the Universities of Exeter & Plymouth, Institute of Health & Social Care in Exeter, the United Kingdom, set out to evaluate the quality of information on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) available on the Internet and identify the most frequently discussed treatments.
In the published results, "Assessing websites on complementary and alternative medicine for cancer," M. D. Anderson's Complementary/Integrative Medicine Education Resources (CIMER) website rated 12 out of a possible 14 points. A score of 11-14 points is considered "excellent." The CIMER website was created and is maintained by the education component of the Integrative Medicine Program.
Fifty Web sites were scored for ownership, authorship, source, currency, interactivity, navigability and balance - but only 32 sites with a score of 9 or higher were included in the review.
Researchers also looked at whether the website could pose a risk to patients and rated each one according to the number of curative, preventive and palliative CAM each covered. The number of CAM therapies reviewed by the CIMER website has more than doubled since this report and now totals over 70 reviews.
They were especially concerned about the vulnerability of cancer patients to misinformation. Since the Internet has revolutionized the market for CAM, many cancer patients desperately seek information about these medicines. According to the study, the quality of what they find is extremely variable. Many websites endorse unproven therapies, and some are outright dangerous.
Top ratings also were given to the National Cancer Institute's CAM website and the Cancer Information Service site.
Evidence-based reviews
M. D. Anderson's top-rated CIMER website includes evidence-based reviews of complementary or alternative cancer therapies as well as links to authoritative resources. These detailed scientific reviews evaluate the design and the results of published research, in contrast to some websites that simply publish individual abstracts of articles.
In addition to its own reviews, the CIMER staff also provides reviews by Natural Standard, an international, multidisciplinary collaboration of clinicians and researchers from more than 100 eminent institutions, and the American Botanical Council, an independent, non-profit international organization that offers science-based reference material and educational information about medicinal plants.
Summaries of critical information are provided in both English and Spanish.
Also found on the site is a set of video/CD-ROMs to assist clinicians and patients in discussing CAM use and cancer.
CIMER's mission is to provide educational resources to health care professionals and patients regarding the current understanding of complementary medicine and, where appropriate, to assist in the integration of these medicines and therapies with conventional treatments.
© 2007 The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. All rights reserved.
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