What skin cancer look like

A close relative has skin cancer. Your doctor has explained the situation, but you're desperate for more information. So, like 70 million other Americans, you look for medical advice on the Internet. You find a slew of skin cancer sites. The very first gives you a shock, implying that the treatment your loved one is receiving is too conservative. There's a new treatment that simply must be tried.

Got to act on this fast, right?

Slow down. Some health information providers online are more trustworthy than others. "The Internet can be a valuable resource on cancer. But some of its information can be false, unreliable, or misleading," says Margo Michaels MPH, Office of Education and Special Initiatives, National Cancer Institute.

In fact, researchers at the University of California, San Diego, recently found that "the amount of medical misinformation on the Internet is staggering." "Such misinformation can make you not only waste your money but risk your health, particularly if it keeps you from getting proper treatment," notes study leader Scott C. Matthews MD.

Many sites have agendas other than your best interests. "Most Web sites contain information related to products," says Daniel Siegel MD, associate professor, Department of Dermatology, SUNY Downstate, and contributing editor to Physicians Internet Review. "Until standards are enacted to govern online medical information, consumers risk being misled to buy ineffective products." The Federal Trade Commission recently named hundreds of Web sites promoting questionable health products and services.

Six (Red) Flags, but No Great Adventure

Fortunately, there are several warning signs that an Internet site may offer less than credible advice:

The recommended treatments are sold at the site. Exercise healthy caution with any site that wants to sell you something.

The site offers patient testimonials. Often, testimonials go hand in hand with salesmanship.

The treatment is called a "cure." Sweeping promises about any treatment are suspicious.

The treatment is said to have no side effects. This also smacks of oversell. Most treatments have some potential side effects you should be cautioned about.

The site gives unsupported and/or anecdotal information. If respectable experts aren't quoted and/or medical literature sources aren't provided, you can't necessarily trust the "facts."

No medical board exists. Ideally, solid medical experts who review all the material should be listed on the site.

Basically, the keys to a reliable health Web site are impartiality and medical authority. If you can answer "yes" to the following questions, you can probably put some stock in what a site is saying:

Is the site run by a reputable, disinterested organization or com. pany?

Any good health-related Web site should state who is in charge and what its purpose is," Margo Michaels says. Sites managed or sponsored by respected organizations, such as the National

Institutes of Health and the Mayo Clinic, are more likely to contain balanced, credible information. If the site "owner" isn't listed on the home page, you should be able to find a section called "About This Site" or something similar. Contact information such as phone, fax, mailing address, and e-mail should be included.

Are advertising and sponsorship separate from editorial content?

If, say, the funding source for the site is a drug company, the material may try to sell or promote its products.

Does the material come from solid medical sources?

Ideally, the information should be provided by public health organizations such as The Skin Cancer Foundation or the National Cancer Institute and/or published in peer-reviewed journals that are clearly referenced. Quotations should come from respected medical experts with no commercial interest in the information.

Does the material go through a proper review process?

Established medical authorities should have reviewed and selected the material to assure its value and accuracy.

Is the information up-to-date?

Since health information keeps evolving, Web sites should be updated regularly, with the latest entry or review dates listed.

Used correctly, the Internet is a terrific tool for educating yourself, finding help, and involving yourself in your own health. You can visit Web sites as well as online discussion groups and chat rooms. But you have to read carefully and critically to sort fact from fiction. And if you have a medical problem, online health information cannot replace seeing your physician. You can always talk with your doctor about the advice you find online; but a diagnosis and treatment plan should be made only by a trained medical professional after a thorough physical exam.

ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE:

The Skin Cancer Foundation

245 5th Ave., Suite #1403, New York, NY 10016

General Phone Inquiries: 1-800-SKIN-490

To obtain copies of this article or other information on skin cancer prevention, detection, and treatment, contact The Skin Cancer Foundation by phone at 212-725-5176 or by e-mail at info@skincancer.org. You can also explore the Foundation's website at www.skincancer.org to learn about Membership opportunities and purchase any of the Foundation's extensive educational materials.