Cancer patients: don’t make your side effects worse

If your friend or loved one has cancer, you may have searched online for products to help them manage side effects from treatment. Unfortunately, some products you find online don’t live up to the promises in their sales pitches. People should talk with their health professionals before trying new products, and ask if there are reputable studies to support the claims made about the product. Patients want to be sure a product won’t interfere with their treatment, or delay them from getting care from a medical professional who is qualified to treat cancer.

The FTC sued a business and business owner that marketed two products to cancer patients, but didn’t have the scientific evidence they needed to support claims about the products. The marketers claimed that CellAssure drink mix was clinically proven to be an effective treatment for cancer patients’ malnutrition, and Cognify dietary supplement was proven to treat “chemo brain.” In fact, there aren’t any human clinical studies that show CellAssure or Cognify treat those symptoms as advertised. Now, these marketers are prohibited from making claims that lack the necessary scientific evidence to support them.

Learn about evaluating the claims you see when you shop for health-related products. If you spot fraud — online, in a store, or on the phone — please tell the Federal Trade Commission.