Teenage Cancer Trust’s top 5 tips for finding trustworthy information about cancer online

Former wellness influencer Belle Gibson claimed she had cured her terminal brain cancer through healthy eating after refusing chemotherapy, fooling many of her 300,000 followers on Instagram. In fact, Belle had never had cancer at all.  Apple Cider Vinegar, a film exploring how she profited from the lie by selling a wellness app and cookbook is released on Netflix today (6 Feb). 

10-years on since Belle was exposed and with Meta’s decision to abandon the use of independent fact checkers on Facebook and Instagram, charity Teenage Cancer Trust has expressed concern about the continued impact of misinformation about cancer and issued tips about finding trustworthy information online.

Rosie Vare, Health Information Manager at Teenage Cancer Trust, comments: 

“Being diagnosed with cancer can be an overwhelming experience, leaving people in a vulnerable position, and many people will of course search online and visit social media for advice and support.  

“This can be extremely useful.  But it’s important to understand that there is a huge amount of false, inaccurate, or misleading information out there - and to help people understand how to find trustworthy information about cancer that they can rely on.” 

Rosie shares her 5 tips on how to find trustworthy information about cancer safely online. 

1. Use trustworthy websites 

Try and stick to UK-based websites from other healthcare charities or organisations. If you are currently in treatment, you can always ask your doctors and nurses for recommendations. It’s a good idea to look for the PIF Tick logo. This means all information has been through a thorough process and has been checked by a range of experts.  

2. Don’t believe everything 

When you find an article online, read an Instagram graphic or watch a TikTok, remember to ask yourself who posted this and why. Particularly if it’s its accompanied by an ask to buy a product.   If you’re not sure about something you can always ask friends, family, or if you’re going through treatment, your care team to have a look too. 

3. Look for balance 

If you read one article, story or website that seems very negative or very positive about a particular treatment, check other websites to see if you get a more balanced picture. Strong opinions aren’t necessarily accurate ones too, so it’s good to get a balanced point of view. 

4. Use the internet as a starting point 

Think of the information you find online as a starting point.  Ask questions about what you find online and discuss it with other people to see what they think. If you’re currently in treatment it might also be useful to make a note of useful websites you’ve found and show them to your care team on your phone in appointments to see what they think. 

5. Everyone is different 

Watching someone tell their personal story on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube can be really helpful - but remember that everyone has a different experience of cancer and what works for one person won’t always work for someone else. 

Teenage Cancer Trust hopes to undertake research into the impact of cancer misinformation on teenagers and young people and is looking for experts to help them tackle the issue. 

For information about cancer in teenagers and young people visit: www.teenagecancertrust.org/information