Cancer Drug Ads Put Caveats in Fine Print

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Cancer Drug Ads Put Caveats in Fine Print 1 hour, 36 minutes ago

 

 

 

WEDNESDAY, June 7 (HealthDay News) -- If you're reading a magazine

ad promoting an anti-cancer drug, be sure to read the fine print, a

new U.S. study says.

 

 

 

 

 

Drugs to fight cancer that were advertised in consumer-based

magazines seemed to promote all of the benefits of the drugs in

large text. Risks and side effects, however, generally appeared

lower on the page and in a smaller, more difficult-to-read text.

 

 

" Direct-to-consumer advertising of oncology medications typically

focuses on the drugs' benefits, as would be expected, but it does so

in a manner that might lead some cancer patients to not appreciate

equally the drugs' potential side effects and risks, " study author

Dr. Gregory Abel, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston,

said in a prepared statement. " Oncology providers should be aware of

these advertisement characteristics, as they may influence patients'

perceptions of and requests for these medications. "

 

 

Researchers studied ads in 2005 issues of three magazines geared

toward patients -- CURE, Coping with Cancer and MAMM. Ads were

reviewed for readability using the Flesch Reading Ease measurement

guide. The study examined the size and content of the text,

placement of text, clinical data, patient testimonials and pictures

of patients. Researchers also noted any physician or celebrity

endorsements, information on effectiveness, and safety information.

 

 

Overall, text relating to benefits of the drug tested the easiest to

read and tended to appear in the top third of the ad space. Benefit

text was also typically written in a larger size.

 

 

Explanation of risks and side effects were typically in a small-size

text at the bottom third of the ad space, but the length of the text

for both sections was approximately equal. Approximately 80 percent

of the ads contained patient images, and 67 percent contained

clinical data. Physician or celebrity endorsements were not used in

any of the ads.

 

 

Results of the study were presented this week at the American

Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting, in Atlanta.

 

 

" We found that appeals to medication safety are infrequent in

oncology print direct-to-consumer advertisements, while appeals to

medication effectiveness are ubiquitous and often made through the

presentation of clinical trial data, " Abel said. " Such appeals to

the scientific efficacy of cancer-related medicines, while suitable

in the setting of clinical encounters, may not be appropriate when

made directly to consumers via language that is difficult to read. "