10/5/2015

Cancer Treatment Scams | Consumer Information

. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
CONSUMER INFORMATION

Cancer Treatment Scams

If you or someone you love has cancer, chances are you're sorting through mountains of
information and facing many decisions about various treatment options. And you may be curious
about supposed miraculous cancer-fighting products — pills, powders, herbs, and more — that
you've either seen advertised or heard about from family and friends. Be skeptical: Lots of these
are scams, and when you're battling cancer, the last thing you need is a scam.

The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, says it’s a good idea
to talk to the doctor treating your cancer about any products you’d like to try. In many cases, the
product can have serious repercussions: it won't treat the cancer; and it could even harm you.
Asking questions is the best way to satisfy your curiosity, and manage your treatment wisely.

Curious About a Product?

Ask your doctor before you try it — or buy it. The doctor treating you can tell you about the risks
of a product, as well as how it might affect your current treatment or any medications you might
be taking.

In your research, you may come across references to complementary and alternative medicine.
Complementary therapies are meant to enhance standard medical treatment like surgery,
radiation, or chemotherapy. Your treatment team can tell you whether there’s any proof that a
complementary therapy may help reduce your discomfort or other symptoms.

On the other hand, alternative therapies are meant to replace conventional cancer treatment.
Reputable medical and cancer experts generally do not recommend alternative products and
practices because there’s no proof that they are effective treatments for cancer. Many can even
be harmful. Remember that stopping or delaying conventional treatment may have serious
consequences.

Are products claiming to treat or cure cancer the hot new thing, old-
fashioned snake oil, or something in between?

All cancers are different, and no one treatment works for every cancer or every body. Even two
people with the same diagnosis may need different treatments. That's one reason it’s best to be
skeptical of websites with ads for products that claim to treat cancer.

Scammers take advantage of the feelings that can accompany a diagnosis of cancer. They
promote unproven — and potentially dangerous — remedies like black salve, essiac tea, or laetrile
with claims that the products are both “natural” and effective. But “natural” doesn’t mean either
safe or effective when it comes to using these treatments for cancer. In fact, a product that is

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10/5/2015 Cancer Treatment Scams | Consumer Information

labeled “natural,” can be more than ineffective: it can be downright harmful.

Are the ads and websites that promote alternative or “natural” treatments
and cures for cancer on the up-and-up?

Bogus marketers often use trickery and vague language to take advantage of people. For
example, testimonials in ads can seem honest and heart-felt, but they can be completely fake: in
fact, they may not disclose that actors or models have been paid to endorse the product. Even
when testimonials come from people who have taken the product, personal stories aren't reliable
evidence of effectiveness. And lots of technical jargon may sound impressive, but by itself,
doesn’t prove effectiveness. Big words from a medical dictionary are no substitute for the plain
facts from your doctor.

A money-back guarantee doesn’t prove that a product works, either. Even if the guarantee that
you're promised is legitimate, a money-back guarantee definitely is not a reliable substitute for
scientific evidence that a treatment is safe or effective. For more information from the federal
government about cancer treatments in general, visit cancer.gov and nih.gov.

This article was previously available as Curious About Cancer Treatments? Talk to Your Doctor
First.

September 2008

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