Cancer patients misled by costly and unproven treatments abroad

Doctors abroad are offering cancer patients unproven treatments without hesitation, often charging thousands of euros. That is revealed in the TV-documentary Pano, aired by the Belgian public broadcaster VRT, and to which Anticancer Fund contributed. The doctors are promoted through social media and websites, recruiting patients online. The report once again highlights the urgent need for European action to protect patients and raise awareness about these dangers.

The Pano documentary starts with the stories of Kevin and Céline, both diagnosed with stage IV cancer. With limited chances of recovery, they turned to the internet in search of experimental treatments abroad.

“The problem is that these treatments are often insufficiently proven. There are no clinical studies conducted according to scientific standards, so you don’t actually know if the treatment works. Sometimes, the treatment is not even safe,” explains Gabry Kuijten, Director of Patient Information at Anticancer Fund.

Misinformation about cancer treatments is growing online

As a cancer organisation, we have been fighting misinformation for years. It can have serious consequences for patients—not only medically, but also financially, and certainly emotionaly. Almost every day, we receive questions from patients considering treatment abroad. They usually discover these treatments through Google searches or on social media, such as Facebook groups.

A frequently mentioned platform is BookingHealth.com, a website that works like Booking.com—but instead of promoting holiday accommodations, it offers medical treatments abroad. In other words, a travel agency for patients. BookingHealth is commercially driven and promotes expensive, unproven treatments, while in Belgium there are often scientifically validated options available that are also reimbursed.

Free and reliable assessment through My Cancer Navigator

How can patients separate fact from fiction?
Anticancer Fund provides people with cancer free, reliable information about their disease and treatment options through the My Cancer Navigator service. Our team of doctors and scientists carefully evaluates all proposed treatments to verify whether they are scientifically proven and trustworthy.

We advise patients against undergoing a treatment:

• When there is insufficient evidence that it is effective for their situation.
• When there are no guarantees about the quality or sterility of the treatment.
• When other treatment options with solid scientific evidence are available.

We always make sure patients understand our concerns about how certain doctors operate: the lack of scientific evidence, the absence of clinical trials, and the ethical issues involved. The fact that patients often receive little to no medical follow-up despite severe side effects, as shown in the Pano report, is unacceptable and medically irresponsible.

Urgent need for European action against misleading practices

That is why Anticancer Fund calls for urgent European action and stronger cooperation between member states, so that patients are properly informed about the risks of unregistered treatments. A European reporting centre for questionable treatments would be an important first step.

Almost exactly a year ago, Anticancer Fund—together with De Tijd, Germany’s ZDF, Austria’s Der Standard and Spain’s El País—already exposed dubious treatments in private cancer clinics. Even then, it was clear that governments must take a greater role in protecting patients.

The Council of the EU, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and several countries, including Belgium, announced last year that they would strengthen cooperation and take action. But the TV-documentary, and our daily experience with patient, shows that there is still a long way to go.

“It is our role as a cancer organisation to inform patients about unproven treatments. They are not always aware of the risks. We therefore urge Europe to take further action. The U.S. has shown that a reporting system can make a real difference. Perhaps Europe can draw inspiration from that,” says Lydie Meheus, Managing Director of Anticancer Fund.