How do Media Reports of New Cancer Treatments Affect Consumers Perceptions of Effectiveness, Harm and Access?
“Anyone facing a life-threatening condition, like cancer, is a highly vulnerable consumer. Intense controversies over limited access and the exorbitant cost of biologic cancer treatments fuel an almost-daily stream of media reports as these new treatments find their place in the market. The accompanying media stories themselves can create excruciating dilemmas for potential patients, and add to pressures faced by federal drug regulators, provincial government health plans and cancer agencies to speed up patient access and coverage for those therapies. The media can influence consumer perceptions of new technologies by virtue of the quality of coverage and the journalist’s understanding of the evidence upon which new drug health claims are made. This project will address two issues: 1.) What is the current state of the quality of cancer treatment and access reporting in Canada and the US? 2.) In what ways do current media reports influence consumer demand, shape expectations and likely
