The Chelsea Standard
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
False health advice spreads via e-mail
Alison Marable
PUBLISHED: June 26, 2008
An acquaintance of mine recently forwarded an e-mail regarding the causes of cancer and urgent changes that people should make immediately to avoid getting cancer. That's something we'd all like to know, right?
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The sender is a kind, efficient person, so I know that her intentions were good. Unfortunately, this e-mail was a chain e-mail that spreads false information to dozens of recipients with each tap of the "send" button.
Like all of these chain e-mail messages, the supposed original sender substantiates the content by dropping the names of a high-profile hospital and a well-known celebrity, sprinkled with titles such as "doctor" and "manager."
Somehow, chain e-mail messages that seem ridiculous and impossible continue to get forwarded for years. These health alert e-mail messages only spread hysteria and confusion, especially to individuals who are already sensitive about the topic. People have enough to worry about without adding more needless worries.
We've all had these in our inboxes, but this one was the first to bother me. Much of the e-mail discussed the causes of breast cancer as if there were no questions left for researchers to ponder. Having been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer, spreading false information on this topic seems particularly distasteful.
Other chain e-mail messages promise money, good luck, lots of friends and a spectacular show in the evening sky. The worst that can happen is that someone sets their alarm for a late-night meteor shower or comet sighting that actually happened five years ago.
This health alert e-mail is fear-based and the information provided is meant to make women panic about everything they consume and how they cook or store it. Cancer is already something that causes fear and paranoia, adding more fuel to the fire is simply aggravating.
Medical advice should come directly from reputable organizations such as the American Cancer Society or your personal doctor. It's easy to check the accuracy of e-mail content by cross-referencing it on the ACS site (www.cancer.org), hospital sites (www.med.umich.edu) or sites dedicated to exposing hoaxes (www.snopes.com).
I had a conversation a few weeks ago with a woman just a couple of years younger than me and she said that her biggest fear in life is being diagnosed with breast cancer. My life is her biggest fear. That hurts, but it reveals the level of anxiety about breast cancer that the average woman carries around daily.
Almost weekly I meet someone who has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. The first thing they request is to talk to me so that they can get some information. Accurate and helpful information is essential to coping with such a stressful diagnosis.
I welcome candid conversations about cancer. TV programs like TLC's "Little People, Big World" share the same purpose. Put an uncomfortable topic out there and allow people to ask questions, confront myths and learn.
This e-mail claims that Sheryl Crow got cancer by drinking out of water bottles that warmed in her vehicle. I think all cancer patients wonder how they got their cancer and if they could have avoided it, which is a terrible thing to ponder because there are no answers and it's too easy to blame yourself.
I've spent weeks wondering where my missing cat ended up, just like I've questioned the origin of my cancer. There are some similarities that help express the mental torture.
Did the cranky neighbor who likes to call the police on neighbor's dogs and the dog competitions at the fairgrounds have anything to do with it? After refusing to join in on the neighbor's mission to get rid of the dogs, the person proceeded to swear at me and express a hatred of cats.
Did my cat get stolen to use for scientific experiments or perhaps because she was a beautiful white Maine Coon? Was she hit by a car? Did she become trapped in a garage, get adopted as a stray, or somehow get dropped miles from home? Surely her collar and identification tag would have meant a safe return home.
As for my cancer, was it the Acrylamide that was accidentally released into the water? Maybe it was a childhood spent surrounded by swirling second-hand smoke? What about the high school job at the dry cleaners with all the chemicals? Was my disease an inheritance, one that then might be passed on to my siblings and children?
The missing cat and the source of my cancer are two things that I will probably spend months, if not years, thinking about. It's frustrating to know the answers for both are likely not in my reach.
The next time you receive a message that claims, "This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life!" think twice before you send it. Leave the health advice up to the professionals.
Show your concern for loved ones and your hatred of cancer by donating to legitimate organizations or encouraging friends to make -- and keep -- their mammogram appointments.
• "Positive connections of quilting and cancer:" After discovering the love of quilting during my cancer treatment, I have been continually surprised by the positive connections between quilting and cancer. In my search for quilting-related activities, I stumbled upon and joined a message board in which women and men discuss quilting. In addition to learning many tips and meeting interesting people from all over the world, I noticed how many times "cancer" was a topic.
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