title: [Information on complementary and alternative medicine  at homepages of German cancer self-help].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is important for cancer patients. The internet has a rising relevance of source of health information. Patient set strong confidence in websites from patient advocacy groups. The websites of German patient advocacy groups were analysed regarding information on CAM.
  
  
  METHODS
  An analysis on the homepages of the most important self-help organizations for cancer patients in Germany was performed. A descriptive analysis of the contents at a cutoff date (20.12.2011) listing the contents was done using an instrument based on the HonCode criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The homepages of the self-help groups are heterogeneous concerning CAM. Only few sites provide more information. The differences between the self-help groups do not correlate with the known user rate of patients with different kinds of cancer. Most homepages dealing with the topic also point to the associated problems of side effects and interactions. All homepages make a clear difference between information and opinion. Influences from outside were not detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In spite of a high number of patients using CAM the topic is only infrequently represented on the homepages. This could be due to difficult and contradictory data on KAM. As websites of patient advocacy are well suited to provide information on CAM the patient version of a S3 guideline in the German national guideline program in oncology could provide a fundament.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Senckenbergisches Chronomedizinisches Institut, J.W. Goethe Universität Frankfurt/Main. Huebner@med.uni-frankfurt.de
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hübner
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Münstedt
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Micke
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Senf
mesh_terms: D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000193:education*; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012657:Self-Help Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*