Cancer results portals require digital literacy support to prevent misinterpretation

Immediate access to cancer results via portals can expose patients to alarming terms without context. This commentary calls for 'digital result literacy'—plain-language summaries, anticipatory guidance, and training for clinicians to handle pre-informed patients.

• Perspective piece advocating for integration of digital result literacy into cancer education; no original data presented.
• Proposed safeguards include anticipatory guidance, plain-language reports, safety-netting, named responsibility for next steps, and equitable non-digital alternatives.
• Emphasizes that clinicians need training to respond when patients arrive with pre-formed interpretations from raw results.

RadPigeon summaries are original and for information only. They are not clinical advice.