How to Understand What's Actually Valid Health Information
- A false viral Facebook video has reinvigorated the disproven belief that a positive at-home pregnancy test can detect testicular cancer.
- Testicular cancer can secrete human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG the hormone identified by common pregnancy tests to determine whether a woman is pregnant.
- A huge amount of invalid health information circulates online. Determining whether a source or a claim includes validated, reproducible data from a trusted source is key to deciphering accuracy.
The video, posted on Sept. 15, features three men, each dipping a pregnancy test in a cup of their own urine. The man in the middle flashes cue cards packed with previously debunked claims about the link between at-home pregnancy tests and testicular cancer "a (positive result) for men show(s) high hormone levels linked to testicular cancer. Catching it early could be what saves your life," the cards read.
Read MoreRelated: 5 Important Facts About Testicular Cancer, Including How to Screen for the Disease
Testicular Cancer Markers
Testicular cancer is a rare cancer; 1 in 250 males will develop testicular cancer at some point in their life, according to the American Cancer Society. This type of cancer is also one that can secrete "tumor markers," or molecules that can be detected in the blood or urine. And one of those markers is human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG the hormone women produce during pregnancy and is detected by pregnancy tests.
It should be noted, however, that one type of non-seminomas germ cell tumor testicular cancer choriocarcinoma is an exception. This is a very rare and fast-growing type of testicular cancer in adults, according to the American Cancer Society, and this type of tumor increases blood levels of HCG
But the keyword here is can; not all testicular cancers will secrete this hormone.
Save A Nut!: Testicular Cancer Survivor Mark Borja Makes it His Mission to Spread Awareness
Dr. Wood recommends that instead of taking an at-home pregnancy test, men should see a doctor if they notice symptoms of testicular cancer or unusual changes these can include a lump or enlargement in either testicle, a sensation of heaviness in the scrotum or sharp pain or discomfort in the scrotum or testicle.
"Testicular cancer manifests itself most commonly as a painless scrotal mass," according to Dr. Wood, "so check yourself, know your body, and see a doctor if you detect anything suspicious."
How to Understand What's Actually Valid Health Information
Patients who rely on unproven methods outside of the conventional medical realm often end up with fatal consequences; a study released by researchers at Yale University in 2017 revealed that patients with cancer who only use alternative treatments are twice as likely to die from the disease.
It should also be noted that more than eight in 10 United States adults (or 86%) say they get their news from a smartphone, computer, or tablet "often" or "sometimes," according to a study published by the Pew Research Center earlier this year. In addition, about two-thirds of adults in the U.S. say they get their news "at least sometimes from news websites or apps (68%) or search engines, like Google (65%)."
But what rings alarm bells for some is the study found that about half of U.S. adults (53%) say they get their news from social media. This is unnerving for most in the news business as social media sites don’t have full-time policing policies for content; some social platforms have started to include “misinformation” tags if something posted on its site is false, but the problem still persists.
Related: 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Was Diagnosed With Testicular Cancer
The at-home pregnancy test theory first came about before social media, but these platforms have served as a breeding ground to spread unverified claims. So how can you know whether the information you read online, especially medical information, is reliable? There are a few ways:
The National Institutes of Health recommends that, as a rule, the sites you get medical information from should be sponsored by federal government agencies. Knowing who or what sponsors and hosts the website you’re reading from is important, too.
- .gov are government agencies
- .edu identifies an educational institution
- .org usually identifies nonprofit organizations
- .com identifies commercial websites
Who wrote the information? Who reviewed it? When was the information written? What is the purpose of this website? These are all important questions to ask yourself when seeking out reliable medical information online; and most of the time, social media isn't the right place to look.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.