Public Advertising by Cancer Centers: Are More Data Needed?
Authors: Gregory A. Abel
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2014)

Editorials17 June 2014Public Advertising by Cancer Centers: Are More Data Needed?Gregory A. Abel, MD, MPHGregory A. Abel, MD, MPHFrom Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M14-1081 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail In her classic essay, Illness as Metaphor, Susan Sontag suggested that the negative metaphors and myths surrounding cancer increase the suffering of patients and inhibit them from seeking care (1). By exposing and deflating these myths with literary and historical examples, she demonstrated that cancer is not a metaphor for other processes such as deserved punishment, nor a source of shame or disgust, but simply a natural phenomenon. If she were alive today, she might be stunned to see the appearance of many forms of cancer-directed direct-to-consumer marketing (DTCM) (2, 3), especially the advertising of cancer centers to the public.... References1. Sontag S. Illness as Metaphor. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 1977. Google Scholar2. Jagsi R. Conflicts of interest and the physician-patient relationship in the era of direct-to-patient advertising. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25:902-5. [PMID: 17327614] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Kontos EZ, Viswanath K. Cancer-related direct-to-consumer advertising: a critical review. Nat Rev Cancer. 2011;11:142-50. [PMID: 21258398] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Vater LB, Donohue JM, Arnold R, White DB, Chu E, Schenker Y. What are cancer centers advertising to the public? A content analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2014;160:813-20. LinkGoogle Scholar5. Abel GA, Lee SJ, Weeks JC. Direct-to-consumer advertising in oncology: a content analysis of print media. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25:1267-71. [PMID: 17401016] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Chen AB, Cronin A, Weeks JC, Chrischilles EA, Malin J, Hayman JA, et al. Expectations about the effectiveness of radiation therapy among patients with incurable lung cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2013;31:2730-5. [PMID: 23775958] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Weeks JC, Catalano PJ, Cronin A, Finkelman MD, Mack JW, Keating NL, et al. Patients' expectations about effects of chemotherapy for advanced cancer. N Engl J Med. 2012;367:1616-25. [PMID: 23094723] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Larson RJ, Schwartz LM, Woloshin S, Welch HG. Advertising by academic medical centers. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:645-51. [PMID: 15795340] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Khanfar N, Loudon D, Sircar-Ramsewak F. FDA direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs: what are consumer preferences and response tendencies? Health Mark Q. 2007;24:77-91. [PMID: 19042521] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. Abel GA, Burstein HJ, Hevelone ND, Weeks JC. Cancer-related direct-to-consumer advertising: awareness, perceptions, and reported impact among patients undergoing active cancer treatment. J Clin Oncol. 2009;27:4182-7. [PMID: 19652071] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.Disclosures: The author has disclosed no conflicts of interest. The form can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M14-1081.Corresponding Author: Gregory A. Abel, MD, MPH, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215; e-mail, [email protected]harvard.edu.This article was published online first at www.annals.org on 27 May 2014. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoWhat Are Cancer Centers Advertising to the Public? Laura B. Vater , Julie M. Donohue , Robert Arnold , Douglas B. White , Edward Chu , and Yael Schenker What Are Cancer Centers Advertising to the Public? Laura B. Vater , Julie M. Donohue , Robert Arnold , Douglas B. White , Edward Chu , and Yael Schenker Metrics Cited BySelling Hope: The Role of Affect-Laden Health Care Advertising in Consumer Decision Making 17 June 2014Volume 160, Issue 12Page: 870-871KeywordsCancer treatmentEmotionsFearInternetPatientsPerceptionQualitative studiesQuality of lifeQuantitative analysisStatistical data ePublished: 17 June 2014 Issue Published: 17 June 2014 CopyrightCopyright © 2014 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...