Worried by rise of cancer fundraising online
As a retired doctor, I was concerned to read in Issue 496 (News, page 9) about the rise in cancer patients seeking funding for treatment online. You quoted Dr Clive Peedell, who seems sceptical that the treatments available are “appropriate”. I share his misgivings. In fact, I wonder whether we are witnessing the growth of a new type of unscrupulous healthcare company that exploits just how easy it is to raise money online.
It only takes a little imagination to think how it could work. A medical company bypasses substantial, timeconsuming research and instead targets cancer sufferers with a new ‘miracle’ cure. They’re laughing all the way to the bank, as sympathetic people donate money. Handing over £10 with a click of a mouse requires little effort. It comes down to simple supply and demand. If there’s a demand from cancer patients desperate to find a cure that’s unavailable on the NHS, there will be a supply of medical companies eager to provide a ‘quick fix’.
The lack of regulation is extremely worrying. The internet is packed with wonderful things, but you couldn’t have invented a better environment to carry out scams, or to exaggerate medical claims. Cancer patients are in a very vulnerable position. I encountered many professionally, and I know how tempting it is to believe that ‘alternative’ treatments can lead to a cure. Sadly, they usually fail, and the patient’s family is often left to pick up a huge bill.
We should all take a step back and remember that just because the internet has made things easier, that doesn’t mean it has made everything better. My advice is to listen to the careful, cautious advice of NHS doctors, and be wary of snake-oil salesmen who see the internet as a way of making ill-gotten gains. Charles Murray