Cancer-related misinformation poses a growing challenge for public communication. The consequences can be severe, as misleading or false information can influence health decisions and directly affect treatment pathways. Against this backdrop, the workshop addressed a pressing societal issue. Practitioners from medicine and self-help organisations, as well as health and science communication professionals, engaged in lively discussions with researchers from communication studies, health research and psychology. Together, they discussed key challenges, shared practical experiences of dealing with cancer misinformation and identified important research gaps that require further attention.
One of the core themes was the growing complexity of today's information landscape. The sheer volume of available information, combined with varying levels of quality and credibility, makes it difficult for patients to distinguish reliable sources from misleading ones. The discussions emphasised the vital role of evidence-based information and science communication in providing orientation: when communicated clearly and accessibly, they can help people to contextualise information, build trust and support informed decision-making.
The workshop also identified several important research needs, including questions about why misinformation is attractive and what motivates its spread, how truth and evidence are attributed and the typical information-seeking behaviours of cancer patients. These insights highlight the importance of viewing cancer misinformation as not only a medical issue, but also a communicative, social and psychological challenge.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the external guests who contributed to the lively and engaging discussion at the CMC Talk.
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Im CMC Talk stellten Andreas Scheu und Johanna Klausing die Ergebnisse eines Workshops zum Thema „Krebs-Falschinformationen” vor. Falschinformationen können sich direkt auf die Gesundheit und Behandlung von Patienten und Patientinnen auswirken. Ein Schwerpunkt lag auf der Komplexität der Informationslandschaft: Viele Informationen sind nur schwer beurteilbar. Wissenschaftliche Informationen können dabei helfen, Vertrauen zu schaffen und Entscheidungen zu treffen. Daher ist diese Forschung besonders wichtig.