New Delhi: In today’s digital age, social media is the go-to channel for all information regarding health, from the common cold to cancer. While it has
helped increase awareness about many diseases, it has also become a breeding ground for misinformation—particularly when it comes to cancer. Across India and around the world, misleading and unverified content on social media platforms is creating confusion, fear, and mistrust, ultimately delaying timely cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. Randeep Singh, Director and Senior Consultant of Oncology Services, Medical Oncology, Haemato Oncology & BMT, Narayana Hospital, Gurugram, spoke about the dangers of misinformation and how cancer diagnosis is impacted in the era of social media.
Cancer treatment is one of the areas most affected by online myths. Many patients and their families come across absurd and alarming claims that can shake their long-held beliefs, too. These claims could be about biopsies causing cancer to spread, or cancer treatment being expensive and unaffordable, or that chemotherapy is so harmful to the body that it is better to avoid it altogether. People are led to believe that advanced cancer care is not available in developing countries and that outcomes are inevitably poor. These messages are widely circulated, charged with emotions that tug at the heart, and often presented as “hidden truths,” making them particularly convincing to vulnerable patients. However, these claims are far from the truth.
Contrary to online claims, a biopsy does not cause cancer to spread; it is actually a critical diagnostic tool that allows doctors to identify the type and stage of cancer so they may plan the most effective treatment for the patient. Similarly, while cancer treatment can be expensive, many affordable options are today more accessible to patients than they were in the past, with government schemes, insurance coverage, and wider availability of cost-effective therapies. Chemotherapy, often portrayed as deadly on social media, has evolved significantly and is now safer, more targeted, and better tolerated by most patients, thanks to advances in supportive care.
Dangers of misinformation
The real danger lies in how such misinformation influences decision-making. Some patients delay visiting a doctor because social media posts reassure them that symptoms are harmless or can be managed with alternative remedies. Others are frightened into avoiding treatment altogether after reading exaggerated or false stories about side effects. In both cases, valuable time is lost—and in cancer care, time is critical.
It is important to remember that cancer does not wait for anything or anyone. It does not base its diagnosis on social media trends, cannot read Instagram posts, or search Google for opinions. Cancer progresses biologically, often silently. Delaying treatment only allows the disease to advance to more complex and harder-to-treat stages. What could have been managed well with early intervention could become far more challenging when treatment is postponed.
Understanding cancer and its treatment requires years of specialised training. An oncologist spends nearly a decade undergoing rigorous education and clinical training to interpret scientific research, evaluate treatment outcomes, and apply evidence-based medicine to real-world patients. Every treatment decision is based on validated clinical data, international care guidelines, and an individual patient’s condition and health parameters—not on opinions or viral content. Reducing such complex medical decision-making to social media advice undermines both science and patient safety.
The internet, no doubt, is a useful tool for general awareness, but it should never take the place of consultation with a qualified medical professional. Patients should feel empowered to ask questions, seek second opinions, and discuss concerns openly with their doctors rather than relying on unverified online sources. Trusted information should come from oncologists, recognised medical institutions, and peer-reviewed research.
Cancer care today is more advanced and patient-centric than ever before, with improved survival rates, personalised therapies, and comprehensive support systems available even in developing countries. The biggest threat is not the treatment itself, but the delay caused by fear and misinformation.
The message is clear: do not let social media dictate cancer care decisions. Early diagnosis and timely, evidence-based treatment save lives. Trust science, trust trained medical professionals, and act before misinformation costs valuable time.
