False premises, false promises
Celebrity endorsement of non-evidence-based anticancer interventions on social media
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22944976 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Emma Grundtvig Gram (0000-0002-8519-8217, University of Copenhagen), Ray Moynihan (0000-0001-9283-742X, The University of Sydney), Barnett S Kramer (The Lisa Schwartz Foundation for Truth in Medicine , Norwich, VT), Brooke Nickel (0000-0002-8100-4278, The University of Sydney) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 40 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Publication date | 2025-07-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Health Promotion International (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0957-4824 • E-ISSN: 1460-2245 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1093/heapro/daaf116 |
| PMID | 40679319 |
| OpenAlex | W4412491730 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 13 |
Most celebrities are not formally trained in evaluating medical evidence. Accordingly, their testimonials or endorsements may lack solid scientific backing, relying on ‘anecdotal evidence’, which can potentially convince consumers to seek unsafe or ineffective therapies. This is especially concerning when financial interests may inadvertently cloud judgement and generate personal endorsements of ineffective, or even harmful, medical interventions to the public. Cancer patients are particularly vulnerable to these messages, while the rest of the public is interested in avoiding life-threatening conditions such as cancer. Social media amplifies adverse consequences by allowing wide circulation and reach of such misleading information. In this paper, we showcase these trends, discuss the ethical considerations as well as implications for healthcare systems, and call for more effective scrutiny and enforcement of current regulation of celebrity testimonials and endorsements.
Advertising · Business · Internet privacy · Political science · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Social media · Computer Science · Health Literacy and Information Accessibility · Law · Media Influence and Health · Psychology · Social Media in Health Education · Social Psychology
| Citations per year | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |