Cancer scams

The Federal Trade Commission has a new series of Web pages on identifying and reporting sites that sell unsubstantiated cancer cures. It's at www.ftc.gov/curious. Here are signs that a supposed cure could be a scam:

* If it claims to work on every type of cancer. All cancers are different.

* If it's a "natural" cure. Remedies such as essiac tea and black salve, which are billed as closer to nature than mainstream medications, are unproven and can be harmful.

* If a cure site uses technical jargon in place of plain-language facts.

* If the cure site offers a money-back guarantee. This hardly substantiates a cure claim.

Source: Federal Trade Commission