Cancer Awareness Month Research Articles

Abstract B040: Building a lung cancer awareness event

Abstract Introduction: Lung cancer is the top cancer killer in the United States. Lung cancer screening (LCS) can decrease mortality of lung cancer, but current uptake is low. Concentrated effort during lung cancer awareness month has potential to positively impact uptake. Patient engagement and education are meaningful ways for medical students to make an impact. Methodology: We created a lung cancer awareness event during November (Lung Cancer Awareness Month) that aims to educate and engage regarding lung cancer and LCS. Prior to event day: 1. We secured buy-in from LCS leadership at the hospital, nurse navigators of the LCS program, leaders of nonprofit organizations and lung cancer support group leadership. 2. We recruited medical students to assist with creating informational materials, promoting the event and staffing day-of. All students attended a 1-hour training session on priority messages regarding lung cancer and LCS, engaging people in surveys and connecting eligible patients with LCS. 3. Informational materials and promotional flyers were sent to the lung cancer screening leadership to ensure messaging was in-line with messaging by the hospital and nonprofit organizations. Day-of event prep: 4. Tables with lung cancer educational materials were placed at the hospital entrances where foot traffic was greatest and staffed by medical students, nurse navigators and representatives from the nonprofits and lung cancer support groups. Educational and engagement materials at the table included lung cancer informational pamphlets, smoking cessation pamphlets and surveys to determine LCS eligibility. 5. Each table had a lung cancer and LCS trivia wheel with small give away items to attract and engage people at the tables. Event: 6. Medical students greeted people who approached the table and explained the purpose of the event (e.g. increasing lung cancer and LCS awareness and education). High priority messages regarding lung cancer and LCS (e.g. lung cancer is the top cancer killer, LCS can lower risk of dying from lung cancer, many eligible patients may not be getting screened) was conveyed by the student to the participant. 7. Participants were invited to complete the survey to determine LCS eligibility. 8. Participants were invited to answer a trivia question to win a lung cancer awareness t-shirt prize. After event: 9. Eligible patients identified by event surveys were followed-up by the nurse navigators to connect to LCS. Results: This lung cancer awareness event was successful in engaging people with lung cancer and lung cancer screening education. 73 people were recorded to have stopped by the table; 58 completed the survey in full. This event is within the power of medical students to do and can be set up easily with buy-in from faculty, hospital staff and local nonprofits. Conclusion: A student-run lung cancer awareness event is a feasible and impactful method to quickly engage patients in lung cancer screening. This event model can be translatable to future years and potentially expanded to other institutions and centers. Citation Format: Michelle Gomez-Guevara, Kristine Chin, Anthony Smith Jr., Masashi Azuma, Grace X. Ma, Cherie P Erkmen. Building a lung cancer awareness event [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B040.

To Close the Gap of Survivorship Education: A Series of Breast Cancer Webinars in Collaboration with Wellspring

Background and Aims: Breast cancer survivors face uncertainties post-treatment, requiring ongoing support and education. Digital media online training courses may be used to disseminate evidence-based cancer information. In this study, we hosted a series of webinars which aimed to empower survivors with evidence-based survivorship information. Materials and Methods: A four-part weekly online webinar series (1 hour each) including expert presentations, survivor insights, and interactive question-and-answer sessions, was held in October 2023 during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, via the Zoom digital platform. Topics covered included surveillance, mental health, adjuvant antihormonal therapy, and sexual health. After the webinar series, participants completed a post-webinar survey electronically. The post-webinar survey assessed participant satisfaction, understanding of topics, and suggestions for improvement. Likert scales were used to measure self-reported changes in understanding of the discussed topics. Results: 99 participants took part in the Breast Survivorship and Surveillance webinar, 97 participated in the Mental Health in Breast Survivorship webinar, 108 participated in the Adjuvant Antihormonal Therapy for Breast Cancer webinar, and 74 participated in the Sexual Health after Breast Cancer webinar. 25 participants completed the post-webinar survey, administered after the final webinar (sexual health). Among the 25 survey participants, 96% (24/25) expressed that the information presented in the series of webinars was very useful or extremely useful. Furthermore, 80% (20/25) noted significant knowledge improvement. Conclusions: This breast cancer webinar series effectively bridges the knowledge gap in survivorship, offering valuable insights, emotional support, and practical guidance. The results emphasize the importance of ongoing education and support for breast cancer survivors.

Influence of Breast Cancer Awareness Month on Public Interest of Breast Cancer in High-Income Countries Between 2012 and 2022: Google Trends Analysis.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. High-income countries have a greater incidence and mortality rate of breast cancer than low-income countries. As a result, raising awareness about breast cancer is crucial in increasing the chances of early detection and treatment. Social media has evolved into an essential tool for Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaigns, allowing people to share their breast cancer stories and experiences while also providing a venue for education and support. The aim of this study was to assess the level of public interest in searches linked to breast cancer among a sample of high-income nations with a sizable internet user base from 2012 to 2022. We also sought to compare the proportional search volume for breast cancer during Breast Cancer Awareness Month with that during other months of the year. Google Trends was used to retrieve data on internet user search behaviors in the context of breast cancer from 2012 to 2022. Seven countries were evaluated in this study: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and the United States, in addition to global data. Breast cancer relative search volume trends were analyzed annually, monthly, and weekly from 2012 to 2022. The annual percent change (APC) was calculated for each country and worldwide. Monthly and weekly data were used to identify potential trends. A fluctuating pattern in APC rates was observed, with a notable increase in 2018 and a significant decrease in 2020, particularly in Saudi Arabia. Monthly analysis revealed a consistent peak in search volume during October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month) each year. Weekly trends over a 20-year period indicated significant decreases in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States, while increases were noted in Ireland. Heatmap analysis further highlighted a consistent elevation in median search volume during October across all countries. These findings underscore the impact of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and suggest potential influences of governmental COVID-19 pandemic control measures in 2020 on internet search behavior.

Does the most common gynecological cancer have an awareness blind spot? An Israeli preliminary study.

e22540 Background: Our objectives were to assess the awareness of healthy women who present online to endometrial cancer (EC) symptoms and risk factors among the Israeli population. Methods: A survey regarding awareness of EC symptoms and risk factors was published in secure link on popular Israeli feminine social-media groups ( > 20,000 users), for accurate reach. The survey was conducted during May 2023 just before establishing June as Uterine Cancer Awareness Month by IGCS. 1161 healthy women completed the survey voluntarily and anonymously. Results: Thousand-fifty-six women met the survey’s inclusion criteria. About 90% graduated college, all graduated high-school. The respondents were predominantly non-orthodox Jewish. More than quarter had a healthcare background. About two-thirds visit gynecologist at least once a year and about three-quarters had a gynecological examination in the last year. Most respondents were aware of other gynecological cancers, mainly cervical and ovarian cancers. Only about a quarter of the survey population had some awareness of EC symptoms. Nearly half of study population had some idea about signs and symptoms of any gynecological cancer. Regarding EC, more than a quarter were unaware of vaginal bleeding as an EC symptom and about 90% were unaware of any EC risk factors. More than three-quarters were defined as unaware at all. Only about 1% were fully aware. A statistical trend was observed as women older than 45 were more aware than younger. If a symptom occurs, most declared they would visit a gynecologist and only about 8% would refer to their general-practitioner. Conclusions: In our study population, we observed an extremely-low awareness of the most common gynecological cancer in the industrial world (EC) which has easily diagnosed symptoms and risk factors. This striking findings, in a highly-educated and media-exposed group, are a wakeup-call for policymakers and regulators to take further action in order to achieve earlier diagnosis and curative prognosis in EC patients.

Representation of skin carcinomas in public awareness - Awareness worldwide and in Germany.

In recent years, there has been an increase in skin cancer. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the representation of skin cancer in public awareness worldwide and in Germany, and to determine whether Skin Cancer Awareness Month is represented in the search interests of the Internet-using population in the same way as Breast Cancer Awareness Month worldwide. In this study, Google Trends data were used to track levels of public awareness for different tumor entities and skin cancer types worldwide and for Germany. The results of this analysis clearly showed a high level of relative public search interest in breast cancer worldwide in the awareness month of October. Worldwide and in Germany, there was a certain increase in search interest and a certain seasonal effect around the May awareness month for skin cancer. For example, the analysis showed a search interest in May and during the summer months in Germany. It is likely that the population, for example in Germany, may benefit further from an even greater emphasis on the topic of skin cancer.

Oral Cancer and Twitter: An Analysis of Oral Cancer Awareness Month Tweets.

The objective of this research was to assess Twitter usage during Oral Cancer Awareness Month and explore the content and engagement related to oral cancer. A comprehensive search was performed using relevant hashtags and keywords related to oral cancer on Twitter throughout the oral cancer awareness month, April 2022. All extracted tweets that match the inclusion criteria were analyzed for content, users were classified, and their countries were identified. A total of 5551 English tweets were identified during Oral Cancer Awareness Month, and 5543 were included in the analysis covering a wide range of oral cancer-related topics. The analyzed tweets encompassed a diverse range of topics, from cancer and oral health to oncology, cancer research, cancer awareness, and even discussions related to alcohol. We found that the majority of users who post on Twitter were individuals. The most common tweets were posted from the USA. This study provides an analysis of Twitter activity during Oral Cancer Awareness Month, highlighting the diverse range of content being shared, offering valuable insights. The findings demonstrate the importance of leveraging social media platforms to disseminate information and raise awareness. With a strategic approach to social media, organizations and individuals worldwide have the power to amplify their message, attract attention, and effectively advocate for oral cancer awareness.

S331 Get FIT Campaign for Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month: A QI Project to Improve Screening Rates for an Underserved Population in a Resident-Led Primary Care Clinic

S331 Get FIT Campaign for Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month: A QI Project to Improve Screening Rates for an Underserved Population in a Resident-Led Primary Care Clinic

October Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Emphasizing Equity in Access to Early Detection

As October draws near, the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to the forefront, shedding light on the significant impact of breast cancer on people’s lives, it may be appropriate to consider the unequal access to care. Especially since, alarmingly, breast cancer continues to affect a significant number of individuals in the US, making it a prevalent health concern.

Impact of COVID-19 on Public Interest in Breast Cancer Screening and Related Symptoms: A Google Trends Analysis.

The COVID-19 Pandemic has led to a decrease in cancer screening due to redeployment of healthcare resources and public avoidance of healthcare facilities. Breast Cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women, with improved survival rates with early detection. An avoidance of screening, resulting in late detection, greatly affects survival and increases healthcare resource burden and costs. To evaluate if a sustained decrease in public interest in screening occurred, and to evaluate other search terms, and hence interest, associated with that. This study utilized Google Trends to analyze public interest in breast cancer screening and symptoms. We queried search data for four keyword terms ("mammogram", "breast pain", "breast lump", and "nipple discharge") from 2019-01-01 to 2022-01-01. The relative search frequency (RSF) metric was used to assess interest in these terms, and related queries were retrieved for each keyword to evaluate trends in search patterns. Despite an initial drastic drop in interest in mammography from March-April 2020, this quickly recovered by July 2020. After this period, alongside recovery of interest in screening there was a rapid increase in interest for arranging for mammography. Relative search frequencies of perceived Breast Cancer related symptoms such as Breast Lump, Nipple Discharge and Breast Pain remained stable. There was increase public interest in natural and alternative therapy of breast lumps despite recovery of interest in mammography and breast biopsy. There was a significant correlation between search activity and Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) in October. Online search interest in breast cancer screening experienced a sharp decline at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a subsequent return to baseline interest in arranging mammography followed this short period of decreased interest.

Cervical cancer risk factors, knowledge and attitudes towards HPV vaccine among coastal Kenyan women: A prospective cross-sectional survey.

e22515 Background: Cervical cancer is the leading cause of death among women in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) despite being a preventable disease. Currently, there is a global rolling out of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine among young girls. However, the knowledge and attitude of Cervical Cancer and the HPV vaccine remain unknown among women in SSA. Methods: We conducted a voluntary cross-sectional survey among adult women attending the cervical and breast cancer screening during Breast Cancer Awareness month in October 2022 at the Coast General Teaching Referral Hospital Regional Cancer Center, Kenya. The demographic, cervical cancer risk factors, knowledge, and attitudes to the HPV vaccine data were collected and analyzed using descriptive analysis. Results: Two hundred and fifty women participated in the survey, of which 48% were native coastal people. Their mean age was 39.3 ±12.4, and the majority (61%) of the participants were married. The most common age onset of sexual intercourse was 21-30 years (50%), followed by 16-20 years (41%), while 7% were virgins, and a quarter (n = 67) reported having multiple sexual partners. Most (90%) of the participants knew screening and early detection of cervical cancer are associated with better survival. Nevertheless, only a third had been screened previously for cervical cancer. Concerning the cause of cervical cancer, half of the patients (n = 126) knew cervical cancer is caused by HPV, and only 45% (n = 111) were aware of the free national HPV vaccination program, with only 5 participants having been vaccinated against HPV. The most commonly sighted reason for not being vaccinated was lack of knowledge of the HPV vaccine's existence (50%), a third was afraid of the vaccine’s side effects, 10% was due to lack of access, and 3%- were due to the vaccine’s age limit. With regards to the willingness to be vaccinated if they had qualified and the HPV vaccine is available for free, only two-thirds were willing to be vaccinated. However, most (90%) would recommend it to young girls. The few who would not recommend the vaccine to young girls were due to fear and lack of knowledge about the vaccine (73%). Conclusions: There is an unmet need for awareness and understanding of the HPV vaccine, and sensitization is needed to improve its uptake. In addition, it will be worth reviewing the age limit of HPV vaccination among Kenyan women as most women are sexually active after 20 years.

Google Trends in Breast and Cervical Cancer Searches From 2008 to 2021: An Infodemiology Study.

Breast and cervical cancer are the leading causes of cancer death among women worldwide. Given the growing concern, cervical cancer awareness month (CCAM) in January and Breast cancer awareness month (BCAM) in October occur annually as global health observances to raise public awareness. This infodemiology study aimed to assess trends in public online searches for breast cancer and cervical cancer following the annual BCAM and CCAM from 2008 to 2021. Google Trends (GT) was used to investigate online searches for "breast cancer" and "cervical cancer" from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2021. (168 months). A joinpoint regression analysis was used to identify statistically significant weekly percentage changes (WPCs) and monthly percentage changes (MPCs) trends over time. Breast cancer searches increased in October (BCAM) every year, while cervical cancer searches increased in January (CCAM) in 2013, 2019, and 2020. Joinpoint regression analysis revealed a significant negative trend in "breast cancer" searches from 2008 to 2021 (MPC: -0.2%, 95% CI: -0.3 to -0.1) and an upward trend in "cervical cancer" searches from May 2017 to December 2021 (MPC: 0.5%, 95% CI: 0.2 to 0.7). Online searches on "breast cancer" remain consistently high only during BCAM, and "cervical cancer" has increased by 0.5% MPC since May 2017. Our findings can inform online interventions like event-based opportunities (BCAM and CCAM) and Google Ads to raise public awareness of breast and cervical cancer.

Abstract P6-05-48: Perceptions About Breast Cancer in North Africa: A Social Listening Project

Abstract Background Social media platforms are a versatile platform used for exchange of information. It is increasingly being used by patients, caregivers, and physicians to interact and engage among themselves and with healthcare organizations. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world, with ~2.3 million cases in 2020 alone. Hence, it is vital to understand the perceptions about breast cancer from a wider lookout to bridge the gaps in patient management. The objective of this study was to understand the trends in social media conversations and current perceptions about breast cancer in the North African countries. Methods Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies hosted by Brandwatch (a social analytics tool) were used to scan 100M websites to analyze publicly visible online conversations about cancer between November 1, 2018 and October 31, 2021. Conversations from 6 North African countries i.e. Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara were analyzed in 3 languages (Arabic, English, and French). Conversations were filtered to isolate breast cancer and related mentions. To isolate the voice of breast cancer patients and their caregivers, manual review of all non-news content in which pronouns appeared within 7 words proximity of disease terms was carried out. Results A total volume of 53,354 conversations (43,785 Arabic, 6,161 English, and 3,408 French) on breast cancer were analyzed. Breast cancer was the most discussed cancer type, contributing to 63% of Arabic, 61% of English, and 66% of French conversations among total cancer related conversations. Egypt led the volume of breast cancer related conversations in Arabic and English, followed by Sudan. Morocco led the volume of conversations in French, followed by Tunisia. For all 3 languages, the proportion of male authors dominated the volume of conversations as compared to female authors (60% of Arabic, 54% of English, and 56% of French). A total volume of 590 (347 Arabic, 158 English, and 85 French) conversations about breast cancer were identified as patient related. Twitter was the most popular platform for Arabic and English-speaking populations. The most discussed topic about breast cancer was identified to be ‘Pink October’ or ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Month’. Across all languages, impact on mental health and financial security was a significant patient concern. Many people reached out directly to the online community for financial support. In Arabic conversations, female patients expressed concern about impact on their relationship with their spouse (or future spouse) due to their condition. Patient conversations about the BReast CAncer gene (BRCA) were also observed. However, there is little evidence about the extent of awareness among patients or their caregivers. There were scarce mentions about male/transgender breast cancer among conversations. Discussions about raising awareness, early detection, and self-checking of breast cancer were also identified. Conclusion Breast cancer was the most discussed type of cancer in North African countries. Patients and caregivers sought financial support on social media platforms. Based on types of conversations identified, it can be inferred that patients do not actively seek information about treatments and cancer management on social media. These insights can be utilized to engage patients, caregivers, patient advocacy groups, and influencers to address concerns and disseminate accurate and simplified information for mass consumption. Table 1. Types of Patient Conversations*. Citation Format: Amel Ladjeroud, Ahlem El Ghoul, Magdy Mohamed. Perceptions About Breast Cancer in North Africa: A Social Listening Project [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-05-48.

Mobilizing stakeholders to drive the cervical cancer elimination agenda in Kenya: The national cervical cancer stakeholders' forum 2022.

Kenya is among the nineteen countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with the highest burden of cervical cancer globally. The high burden of cervical cancer in developing countries reflects the absence of effective cervical cancer prevention programs with limited resources invested to provide comprehensive services. We aimed to engage stakeholders in a structured consultative forum, to gain insights and forge effective partnerships to drive the cervical cancer elimination agenda in Kenya. The National Cervical Cancer Stakeholders Consultative Forum was organized as a part of activities to commemorate the National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month on 19th January 2022 in Nairobi, Kenya. The overall goal of the meeting was to provide a forum to sensitize stakeholders on the National Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control Program (NCCP) with a view to strengthen partnerships, increase coordination for improved service delivery and to provide a forum for resource mobilisation and alignment of key stakeholders towards elimination of cervical cancer in Kenya. Nominal group technique was adopted for structured discussions, and the findings analysed to derive key themes. Key challenges to primary and secondary prevention of cervical cancer were identified as low awareness, stigma and misinformation, high unmet need for treatment of early lesions, few health care providers with capacity to screen and treat, inadequate supplies, inefficient health information systems and poor referral pathways. Championing integration of cervical cancer screening and treatment services into routine health programs, strengthening policy implementation and robust monitoring and evaluation were identified as critical interventions. The National Cervical Cancer Stakeholders Forum 2022 provided insights for enabling Kenya to progress on the 2030 elimination targets. Such forums can be useful in bringing all actors together to evaluate achievements and identify opportunities for more effective national cervical cancer prevention and control programs.

Clinical Profile and Findings in a Breast Cancer Screening Campaign in a Brazilian State

Objectives: To describe the sociodemographic characteristics and the findings in the BC screening tests of women who signed up for a Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaign in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. Methods: In this descriptive, retrospective, observational study, 638 women volunteered to participate. Sociodemographic and clinical data collection occurred between February 2020 and June 2021. Participants had mammograms and were referred to additional ultrasound exams when necessary. All participants with BI-RADS® of 4 or 5 were referred to core biopsy. Results: In our sample, 31.2% had had a mammography longer than 5 years or had never had it. The most frequent findings in the performed mammograms were: dense breasts (37.1%), microcalcifications (12.0%) and breast lumps (10.4%).

Impact of the cervical cancer awareness months on public interest in Japan: A Google Trends analysis, 2012–2021

The immunization and screening rates for human papillomavirus in Japan are lower than those in other countries. We aimed to evaluate the impact of cervical cancer awareness months on public attention using Google Trends analysis. Between 2012 and 2021, we analyzed the trends in relative search volumes (RSVs) for “Shikyuu-keigan” (cervical cancer in English) in Japan, during the cervical cancer awareness month (CCAM) in January and cervical cancer prevention awareness enhancement month (CCPAEM) in November. We performed a joinpoint regression analysis to identify a statistically significant trend change point. Additionally, we compared the mean RSVs of each awareness month with the rest of the year. Significant trend change points were observed, but none were found in CCAM and CCPAEM periods. Comparison of mean RSVs among CCAM, CCPAEM, and the rest of the months did not suggest any significant increases in RSVs during these awareness periods. In conclusion, CAM and CCPAEM did not raise public interest in cervical cancer in Japan. Although the results are based on internet users, the findings might suggest a need to develop a more effective and attractive approach to achieve the 90-70-90 targets of cervical cancer prevention by 2030.

News Coverage of Colorectal Cancer on Google News: Descriptive Study.

BackgroundColorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer death in the United States. The incidence and prevalence of CRC have historically increased with age. Although rates of CRC in the United States have been decreasing over the past decades among those aged ≥65 years, there has been an uptick among those in younger age brackets. Google News is one of the biggest traffic drivers to top news sites. It aggregates and shares news highlights from multiple sources worldwide and organizes them by content type. Despite the widespread use of Google News, research is lacking on the type of CRC content represented in this news source. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to analyze content related to CRC screening and prevention in Google News articles published during National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month (March 2022).MethodsData collection for this cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2022—National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Using the term colorectal cancer, 100 English-language Google News articles were extracted and coded for content. A combined approach—deductive and inductive coding—was utilized. Descriptive analyses were conducted, and frequency distributions were reported. Univariable analyses were performed to assess differences between articles that mentioned CRC screening and those that did not via chi-square tests.ResultsOf the 100 articles reviewed, nearly half (n=49, 49%) were created by health news organizations, and another 27% (n=27) were created by television news services. The predominant themes in the content included age at the onset of disease (n=59, 59%), mortality related to CRC (n=57, 57%), and the severity of disease (n=50, 50%). Only 18% (n=18) of articles discussed CRC disparities, 23% (n=23) mentioned that there are hereditary forms of the disease, 36% (n=36) spoke of colonoscopy to screen for the disease, and 37% (n=37) mentioned how the disease is treated. Although most articles mentioned CRC screening (n=61, 61%), it was striking that sex was only mentioned in 34% (21/61) of these articles, colonoscopy was mentioned in 46% (28/61), and diet was mentioned in 30% (18/61).ConclusionsHeightening the public’s awareness of this disease is important, but it is critical that messages related to how preventable this cancer is, who is the most likely to develop CRC, and what can be done to detect it in the early stages when the disease is the most curable be the critical elements of dialogue, particularly during National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. There is a need to disseminate information about early-onset CRC and the importance of screening, especially among populations with low rates of uptake. Web-based news is potentially an underutilized communication mechanism for promoting CRC screenings as secondary prevention measures for high-risk groups.

Insights and Strategies to Revive Brachytherapy Using Social Media: A Google Trends Analysis.

Introduction: The utilization and public awareness of brachytherapy are both declining. Social media has an increasing presence in health promotions. As regards cancer care, social media has been successfully used as a platform for information dissemination, psychosocial support, and patient engagement and empowerment.Methods and materials: Using Google Trends (Google LLC, Mountain View, CA, USA), we analyzed the impacts on the public interest of three brachytherapy-related social media campaigns/publicity events and compared and contrasted them with three other campaigns/publicity events. We used descriptive statistics (mean ± standard deviation (SD)) to describe the search results, independent t-tests to compare means before and after campaigns/announcements for short-term effects, and one-way ANOVA (or Kruskal-Wallis test when appropriate) to compare mean values across distinct time periods for long-term effects.Results: We identified three major types of social media campaigns/events: those that have a short-term impact but little long-term impact, those that have both short-term and long-term impacts, and those with little short-term or long-term impact. We examined campaigns with significant and lasting impacts and noticed that they tend to be celebrity-related/celebrity-endorsed, focused on sharing personal experiences, and occur with regular frequency.Conclusions: To increase public awareness of brachytherapy, the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) can consider tie-ins with events and people with high search traffic (such as Breast Cancer Awareness Month), having celebrities/influencers who were treated with brachytherapy to provide testimonials, encouraging patient engagement and sharing of their experiences with brachytherapy on social media, and setting up recurring brachytherapy publicity events.

Evaluating cancer awareness months and cancer screening tests through internet search big data.

e24038 Background: Cancer Awareness Months (CAMs) aim to increase public recognition of specific cancers through education and screening promotion, but their effectiveness is uncertain. This study was designed to characterize the relationship between internet search interest (ISI) of breast, colon, lung, and prostate cancers and related screening test terms with their respective CAMs with the goal of better understanding CAM effectiveness across time and geographic scale. Methods: ISI was collected from sampled Google Search data from Google Trends on a national, state, and metropolitan level between 2004 and 2021. The ISI for cancer and cancer screening terms for each respective CAM was compared to ISI for nonadjacent months and across regionality. Results: Breast CAM was associated with increased ISI for both cancer (p > 0.001) and cancer screening (p > 0.001) terms. Colon CAM was associated with higher cancer term ISI (p = 0.004), but had mixed effects on screening ISI across terms. Lung CAM was not associated with a change in cancer term ISI (p = 0.573) and had mixed effects across screening terms. Prostate CAM was not linked to ISI changes for any associated terms. Regional variation in ISI was found in all cases. Conclusions: Given the high accessibility and scalability of Google Trends, this tool can be used to practically evaluate and guide the strategies of CAM campaigns across cancer type and geographic scale. Future directions include broadening the geographic scope and comparatively assessing specific CAM campaign strategies.

Impact of Breast Cancer Awareness Month on Public Interest in the United States between 2012 and 2021: A Google Trends Analysis.

Simple SummaryIn this study, we quantified public awareness regarding breast cancer associated with Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) in October using Google Trends data and a joinpoint regression analysis. We analyzed the impact of BCAM, Lung Cancer Awareness Month (LCAM), and Prostate Cancer Awareness Month (PCAM) on public awareness of the top three most common cancers in the U.S. from 2012 to 2021 using the relative search volume of Google Trends. The results imply that BCAM has successfully improved the public awareness of breast cancer in the U.S., while LCAM and PCAM had no impact on the awareness of lung and prostate cancers. BCAM could serve as a good example for organizations working on health observances or awareness campaigns.Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) has a long history of over 30 years, established in 1985 to occur every October, and the National Breast Cancer Foundation now leads the operation. There have been no studies to evaluate the impact of the BCAM on public awareness of breast cancer. We analyzed the impact of BCAM on public awareness of breast cancer in the U.S. from 2012 to 2021 using the relative search volume (RSV) of Google Trends as a surrogate. We also analyzed the impact of Lung Cancer Awareness Month (LCAM) and Prostate Cancer Awareness Month (PCAM) on public awareness of lung and prostate cancer, respectively, to see differences in their effectiveness among the health observances for the top three most common cancers in the U.S. We performed a joinpoint regression analysis to identify statistically significant time points of a change in trend. There were joinpoints around BCAM for “Breast cancer” every year from 2012 to 2021, with a significant increase in the weekly RSVs from 21.9% to 46.7%. Except for 2013 and 2015 for “Lung cancer”, when significant increases in the RSV at 1.8% and 1.2% per week were observed around LCAM, no joinpoints were noted around LCAM or PCAM. These results imply that BCAM has successfully improved the public awareness of breast cancer in the U.S. compared to other representative health observances, likely due to the effective involvement of non-medical industries, influencers affected by breast cancer, and an awareness symbol.

#ColonCancer: Social Media Discussions About Colorectal Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Social media platforms such as Twitter are extensively used to communicate about cancer care, yet little is known about the role of these online platforms in promoting early detection or sharing the lived experiences of patients with CRC. This study tracked Twitter discussions about CRC and characterized participating users to better understand public communication and perceptions of CRC during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tweets containing references to CRC were collected from January 2020 to April 2021 using Twitter's Application Programming Interface. Account metadata was used to predict user demographic information and classify users as either organizations, individuals, clinicians, or influencers. We compared the number of impressions across users and analyzed the content of tweets using natural language processing models to identify prominent topics of discussion. There were 72,229 unique CRC-related tweets by 31,170 users. Most users were male (66%) and older than 40 years (57%). Individuals accounted for most users (44%); organizations (35%); clinicians (19%); and influencers (2%). Influencers made the most median impressions (35,853). Organizations made the most overall impressions (1,067,189,613). Tweets contained the following topics: bereavement (20%), appeals for early detection (20%), research (17%), National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month (15%), screening access (14%), and risk factors (14%). Discussions about CRC largely focused on bereavement and early detection. Online coverage of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and personal experiences with CRC effectively stimulated goal-oriented tweets about early detection. Our findings suggest that although Twitter is commonly used for communicating about CRC, partnering with influencers may be an effective strategy for improving communication of future public health recommendations related to CRC.