# Is YouTube™ a Reliable Source of Information for the Current Use of HIPEC in the Treatment of Ovarian Cancer?

## TL;DR

This study finds that YouTube videos about HIPEC for ovarian cancer are unreliable for patients, often missing key details about treatment and risks.

## Contribution

The study evaluates the reliability of YouTube content on HIPEC for ovarian cancer, focusing on differences between patient and professional audiences.

## Key findings

- Professional-targeted videos are more comprehensive and accurate than patient-focused ones.
- Many patient videos omit critical details like treatment indications and clinical outcomes.
- Public-targeted videos are shorter, more popular, but lower in quality and reliability.

## Abstract

YouTube™ is one of the most widely used platforms for health-related information, yet the quality of its medical content remains unexamined. In this study, we systematically reviewed YouTube™ videos discussing Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) in the management of advanced ovarian cancer to assess their reliability and educational value for both patients and healthcare professionals. Our findings show that while professional-targeted videos provide more comprehensive and accurate information, patient-focused videos are often less reliable and omit critical details such as treatment indications, risks, and clinical outcomes. These results emphasize the importance of improving the quality of online cancer education and highlight the need for accurate digital resources to better support patient decision-making and professional learning.

Introduction: YouTube™ is a widely accessible platform with unfiltered medical information. This study aimed to evaluate the educational value and reliability of YouTube™ videos on Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) for advanced epithelial ovarian cancer treatment. Methods: YouTube™ videos were searched using the keywords “ovarian cancer”, “debulking surgery”, “hyperthermic”, and “HIPEC”. Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Content (PEMAT A/V) score, DISCERN, Misinformation Scale, and the Global Quality Scale (GQS) were employed to assess the clarity, quality, and reliability of the information presented. Results: Of the 150 YouTube™ videos screened, 71 were suitable for analysis and categorized by target audience (general public vs. healthcare workers). Most (57, 80.2%) were uploaded after the “Ov-HIPEC” trial (18 January 2018), with a trend toward more videos for healthcare workers (p = 0.07). Videos for the general public were shorter (p < 0.001) but received more views (p = 0.06) and likes (p = 0.09), though they were of lower quality. The DISCERN score averaged 50 (IQR: 35–60), with public-targeted videos being less informative (p < 0.001), a trend mirrored by the Misinformation Scale (p < 0.001) and GQS (p < 0.001). The PEMAT A/V scores showed 80% Understandability (IQR: 62–90) and 33% Actionability (IQR: 25–100), with no significant difference between groups (p = 0.15, p = 0.4). Conclusions: While YouTube™ provides useful information for healthcare professionals, it cannot be considered a reliable source for patients seeking information on HIPEC for ovarian cancer. Many videos contribute to misinformation by not properly explaining treatment indications, timing, adverse effects, multimodal approaches, or clinical trial findings.