People who suffer from cancer should forget about the miraculous cures promised on hundreds of Internet pages or should inform authorities about companies selling them. At least, this is the latest message of the Federal Trade Commission which is desperately trying to make people more aware of the fact that there is no scientific evidence that these cures actually work. And still there are millions of people who put their trust in them hoping for a miracle not even knowing that these cures might have side effects that might interfere with the drugs already prescribed.

In an attempt to reduce all these risks, the FTC’s Web site features a page that can be found at www.ftc.gov/curious where people interested in the issue can read valuable information related to these cures. More over, people now have the possibility to tell on companies selling them.

Also as a way of ending this “trend,” the FTC sued five such companies and reached settlements with six others. The companies sued are as follows: Alexander Heckman d/b/a Omega Supply; Native Essence Herb Company; Daniel Chapter One; Gemtronics Inc.; and Mary T. Spohn a/b/a Herbs for Cancer. Among the other six that reached a settlement number: Ni-Gen Nutrition of Troy, Mich., Westberry Enterprises of Pineville, La., Jim Clark's All Natural Cancer Therapy of Louisville, Ky.

Searching for such companies, the FTC originally identified 112 websites making non-medical cancer-cure claims. Each of them were sent warning letters “telling them they must have adequate substantiation for any health claims they make about their products,” said Lydia Parnes, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection.

As a result of these warning letters, within two months, about 30 percent of these sites had closed down or removed unsubstantiated claims, she added.