Cancer-related Topics Research Articles

Utilizing a large-scale biobanking registry to assess patient priorities and preferences for cancer research and education.

Patients consented to biobanking studies typically do not specify research conducted on their samples and data. Our objective was to gauge cancer biobanking participant preferences on research topics. Patient-participants of a biobanking study at a comprehensive cancer center who had an appointment within the last 5 years, had a valid email address, and with a last known vital status of alive, were emailed a newsletter containing a link to a survey about preferences and priorities for research. The survey assessed demographics and research interest in three domains: cancer site, cancer-related topics, and issues faced by cancer patients. 37,384 participants were contacted through email to participate in the survey. 16,158 participants (43.2%) opened the email, 1,626 (4.3% overall, 10% of those who opened the email) completed the survey, and 1,291 (79.4% of those who completed the survey) selected at least one research priority. Among those who selected at least one research priorities for cancer-relevant topics, the most commonly selected were cancer treatment (66%), clinical trials (54%), and cancer prevention (53%). Similarly, the most selected priorities for cancer-related issues faced by patients were physical side effects of cancer (57%), talking to the oncologist (53%), and emotional challenges due to cancer (47%). Differences by gender were observed, with females reporting more interest in research generally. Cancer patients participating in a biobanking protocol prioritized research on treatments, prevention and side effects, which varied by gender.

Adolescents' Perceptions About Cancer and Preferences for Cancer Education.

BackgroundCancer is one of the leading causes of death within the United States. Adolescence remains a critical stage of development in which new cognitive skills and lifestyle factors related to cancer are acquired. It is critical to understand adolescents’ knowledge of cancer and preferences for receiving clear and easy-to-comprehend information about cancer and cancer prevention. The purpose of this study was to explore adolescents’ perceptions of cancer and cancer risk factors and identify their preferences for receiving cancer prevention education.MethodsThe survey used in this study was based on the Health Belief Model framework, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, and the Cancer, Clear & Simple (CC&S) Curriculum. The survey evaluated adolescents’ knowledge, attitudes, and health-related behaviors regarding cancer and cancer prevention among adolescents. Three Midwestern middle and high schools were recruited, and 235 students completed the survey. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics.ResultsStudy participants had some basic knowledge of cancer; however, only 66% recognized that individuals have control over their risk of developing cancer. Participants (95%) reported that cancer prevention was important, yet only 37.3% stated they knew how to lower their risk of getting cancer and 50% indicated that they currently try to make decisions that lower their chances of getting cancer. About 82% stated that an educational game would be a useful tool to learn about cancer and prevention.ConclusionStudy findings indicate the need for an increase in adolescent knowledge of cancer, specifically how they can control their cancer risk, and prevention strategies through development of game-based education to teach adolescents about cancer-related topics.

Examining the Association of Academic Rank and Productivity with Metrics of Twitter Utilization Amongst Kidney Cancer Specialists

BACKGROUND: Twitter has emerged as an important platform for conversation surrounding cancer-related topics. As use has proliferated, a better classification of physicians engaging in cancer discussions on Twitter is warranted. OBJECTIVES: To better characterize the medical specialists involved in disseminating kidney cancer information on social media through academic and Twitter metrics. METHODS: Clinical practitioners with an expertise in kidney cancer were identified. Demographics, metrics of academic rank and productivity, and Twitter usage data were collected. Correlations were calculated for the generation of a model predictive of the number of Twitter followers. Analysis of the experts’ Twitter content was performed. RESULTS: Among 59 kidney cancer experts identified, 14 (23.7%) were assistant professors, 24 (40.7%) were associate professors, and 21 (35.6%) were full professors. A total of 5424 tweets were analyzed, 86% of which were medically-related. We identified several differences between academic rank and Twitter variables. Associate professors registered a greater median number of followers subscribed to their Twitter accounts (2360) versus assistant professors (1253) and full professors (934) (p = 0.03) and a greater median number of accounts they themselves followed (752 vs. 290 vs. 235, respectively; p = 0.0009). Use of a more generalized approach (ANCOVA) showed that the most predictive variables for the number of followers are number of tweets, H-index, and percentage of medical tweets (R2 = 0.70). CONCLUSIONS: This study supported correlations between metrics of academic and Twitter activity. The generation of a model to predict the number of followers on Twitter is novel – future work will validate this in other disease types.

Assessing Gaps in Surgical Oncology Training: Results of a Survey of General Surgery Residents

Many general surgeons devote a significant amount of time and effort to the care of cancer patients. There is currently no standardized, national curriculum in Surgical Oncology for General Surgery residents. The objective of this study was to identify gaps in oncology education among General Surgery residents. An anonymous survey design was used in the present study. Residents received an invitation to participate along with a link to an online survey. Interested residents selected the link and completed the 10 minute survey. Binomial logistic regression was performed to ascertain the effects of postgraduate year (PGY) on various perceptions and knowledge relating to surgical oncology. The participants included residents from 3 General Surgery residency programs including Florida Atlantic University, The University of Iowa and The University of Connecticut. These are all university-based programs, but residents in each program rotate at several sites each, including both university and community hospitals. Participants included clinical PGY 1 to 5 categorical general surgical residents, as well as PGY 1 and 2 General Surgery preliminary residents. A total of 135 residents received the email with the link to the survey. Forty-nine residents from all PGY levels responded to the survey. Twenty-one percent of the respondents were familiar with American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer accreditation, which is a major means of maintaining standards in cancer care across institutions in the United States The majority of residents did not receive formal training in such key areas as chemotherapy and radiation therapy basics, survivorship, palliative care, pain management, and cancer screening regimens. These responses were not significantly different across different levels of training. Most importantly, many residents, particularly those in PGY 3 to 5, do not feel that they will be fully prepared to care for cancer patients at the completion of their training. The present study provides evidence that regardless of PGY year, residents do not achieve adequate exposure to a variety of cancer-related topics. These include both multidisciplinary cancer care and the operation, accreditation and administration of certified cancer centers. Further, it appears residents do not feel well prepared to provide optimal cancer care at the completion of their training. This data supports the development of a more comprehensive Surgical Oncology curriculum for General Surgery trainees.

Evaluating a couple-based intervention addressing sexual concerns for breast cancer survivors: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundSexual concerns are distressing for breast cancer survivors and interfere with their intimate relationships. This study evaluates the efficacy of a four-session couple-based intervention delivered via telephone, called Intimacy Enhancement (IE). The IE intervention is grounded in social cognitive theory and integrates evidence-based techniques from cognitive behavioral couple therapy and sex therapy to address survivors’ sexual concerns and enhance their and their partners’ sexual, relationship, and psychological outcomes.MethodsThis trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy of the IE intervention in improving survivors’ sexual function, the primary study outcome. Secondary outcomes include survivors’ sexual distress, partners’ sexual function, and survivors’ and partners’ relationship intimacy and quality as well as psychological distress (depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms). Additional aims are to examine whether treatment effects on patient sexual function are mediated by sexual communication and self-efficacy for coping with sexual concerns and to explore whether survivor age and race/ethnicity moderate intervention effects on survivors’ sexual function. Eligible adult female breast cancer survivors reporting sexual concerns and their intimate partners are recruited from two academic sites in the USA and are randomized to either the IE intervention or to a control condition of equal length offering education and support around breast cancer-related health topics (Living Healthy Together). The target sample size is 120 couples. Self-report outcome measures are administered to participants in both conditions at baseline (T1), post-treatment (T2), 3 months post-treatment (T3), and 6 months post-treatment (T4).DiscussionEvidence-based interventions are needed to address sexual concerns for breast cancer survivors and to enhance their and their intimate partners’ sexual, relationship, and psychological well-being. This randomized controlled trial will allow us to examine the efficacy of a novel couple-based intervention delivered via telephone for breast cancer survivors experiencing sexual concerns and their intimate partners, in comparison with an attention control. Findings of this study could influence clinical care for women with breast cancer and inform theory guiding cancer-related sexual rehabilitation.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03930797. Registered on 24 April 2019.

The associations of self-stigma, social constraints, and sleep among Chinese American breast cancer survivors.

The aim of the current study was to examine the incidence of poor sleep quality, medication use, and dysfunction and the association of self-stigma and perceived social constraints (i.e., ambivalence over emotional expression; AEE) on sleep among a sample of Chinese American breast cancer survivors. The data were based on self-report baseline data (n = 136) from an expressive writing intervention study for Chinese American breast cancer survivors (MTime since diagnosis = 27.17months; SD = 19.31). Participants completed self-report questionnaires related to psychological and physical health and health behaviors. Using linear regression and path modeling, our hypotheses were tested using models where (1) self-stigma predicted sleep characteristics (i.e., quality, medication use, and dysfunction) with (2) AEE mediating the relationship between self-stigma and sleep. Participants frequently reported poor sleep quality (44.9%), use of sleep aids (37.5%), and difficulty staying awake during the day (37.5%). Greater self-stigma was related to greater AEE (b = .48, SE = .09, p < .05), which was related to worse sleep quality (b = - .19, SE = .08, p < .05), greater use of sleep aids (b = .25, SE = .11, p < .05), and greater difficulty staying awake during the day (b = .30, SE = .09, p < .05). Further, the indirect effect of self-stigma on sleep quality (ab = - .09, 95% CI - .19, - .03), use of sleep aids (ab = .12, 95% CI .03, .25), and difficulty staying awake during the day (ab = .15, 95% CI .06, .18) through AEE was significant. The results of this study highlight significant sleep-related problems among Chinese American breast cancer survivors and the importance of considering cultural beliefs of cancer in counseling. Chinese American breast cancer survivors are at risk for sleep-related difficulties due, in part, to perceived self-stigma and emotional constraints. Greater education and community outreach to Chinese communities may help destigmatize breast cancer and encourage emotional expression around cancer-related topics.

Evaluation of a charity-led secondary breast cancer support day: a model of survivorship care.

It has been estimated that there are 36,000 women living with secondary breast cancer in the UK. Many feel isolated and unsupported, their information needs unmet and unaware of available support services such as palliative care or support groups that could help to improve their quality of life.To try to address these needs, a monthly support day was established in 2014 by the national UK breast cancer charity Breast Cancer Haven (BCH) at their Yorkshire centre. The support day provides an opportunity for personal introductions and discussion with other people with secondary breast cancer, to obtain information about breast cancer-related topics of their choice, to eat a healthy lunch and to experience a visualisation/relaxation session. To evaluate how helpful this support day was to its participants, they were asked to complete a feedback form at the end of the day. A total of 171 forms were completed from 26 support days during the period February 2014–July 2018.Participants stated that they found the support day helpful, relaxing, informative, supportive and enjoyable. All except two felt it met their needs and expectations and the majority found the length of the day just right. The personal introduction and discussion session were most frequently cited as the most useful part of the day, with the majority of participants (N = 144, 96.7%) rating it as very or moderately helpful.These findings show that the BCH support day, developed to address the needs of people with secondary breast cancer, is a model of survivorship care that can have a positive impact on their lives.

Acculturation Moderates the Effects of Expressive Writing on Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Among Chinese American Breast Cancer Survivors.

Previous research indicated that the benefits of expressive writing on cancer patients' physical and psychological well-being may vary across cultures. However, it remains unknown whether the within-ethnicity cultural orientation would also moderate the efficacy of expressive writing. Immigrants are a special population who differ widely in extent of endorsing the home culture and the host culture. We examined the role of acculturation in moderating the effect of expressive writing among Chinese American breast cancer survivors in reducing different post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom clusters: re-experiencing, avoidance, and arousal. Ninety-six Chinese American breast cancer survivors were randomly assigned to three groups to write about cancer-related topics: a self-regulation group to write about deepest feelings, stress coping, and finding benefits; an emotional disclosure group to write about deepest feelings; and a cancer-fact group to write about cancer experience objectively. The only examined moderator, acculturation, was assessed at baseline. PTSD symptoms were assessed at baseline and 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-ups. Acculturation moderated the effect of expressive writing at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Among participants with low acculturation, PTSD symptoms were less severe in the self-regulation and cancer-fact groups compared with the emotional disclosure group; in contrast, no group differences in PTSD were found among highly acculturated participants. Our findings highlight the important role of sub-ethnic cultural orientation in the efficacy of psychosocial interventions targeting immigrant populations. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03546673.

A corpus-based analysis of scientific TED Talks: Explaining cancer-related topics to non-experts

A corpus-based analysis of scientific TED Talks: Explaining cancer-related topics to non-experts

Patients and caregivers\u2019 unmet information needs in the field of patient education: results from an Italian multicenter exploratory survey

Patient education and empowerment (PEE) is aimed at improving competence of patients during their clinical path and enabling healthcare providers with specific communication strategies. We investigated the interest of Italian Cancer Research & Care Centers (CRCI) users (patients and caregivers) in being involved in PEE activities. An anonymous questionnaire addressed to users was distributed between June 2013 and February 2014. The questionnaire gathered information on the following: health-related topics; 13 different PEE initiatives/modalities of learning already active at CRCI; personal demographic data; the willingness to be more involved in the organization of health services provided and in which context; and five preferred info-educational activities. Frequency distribution and chi-square analysis were computed. Statistical significance (p value) was set at < 0.05. A total of 875 (29%) users responded to the 3000 distributed questionnaires. The first three priorities of interest were “early diagnosis” (18%), “prevention” (17%), and “diagnosis explanation” (13%). The first three priorities on informational activity were as follows: “classes on cancer-related topics with healthcare professionals” (28%); “cancer information service” (22%); “drug information point” (7%). Forty-nine percent of the respondents stated that they would like to be involved in the organization of PEE activities, particularly caregivers and users older than 55 years of age. The preferred educational activities were “classes on cancer-related topics with healthcare professionals” and “cancer information service” on a face-to-face modality. Patients were more interested than caregivers in “prevention.” The extension of PEE programs to all CRCI users into routine care will be the next step of the present research.

Leveraging Social Media to Promote Public Health Knowledge: Example of Cancer Awareness via Twitter

BackgroundAs social media becomes increasingly popular online venues for engaging in communication about public health issues, it is important to understand how users promote knowledge and awareness about specific topics.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to examine the frequency of discussion and differences by race and ethnicity of cancer-related topics among unique users via Twitter.MethodsTweets were collected from April 1, 2014 through January 21, 2015 using the Twitter public streaming Application Programming Interface (API) to collect 1% of public tweets. Twitter users were classified into racial and ethnic groups using a new text mining approach applied to English-only tweets. Each ethnic group was then analyzed for frequency in cancer-related terms within user timelines, investigated for changes over time and across groups, and measured for statistical significance.ResultsObservable usage patterns of the terms "cancer", "breast cancer", "prostate cancer", and "lung cancer" between Caucasian and African American groups were evident across the study period. We observed some variation in the frequency of term usage during months known to be labeled as cancer awareness months, particularly September, October, and November. Interestingly, we found that of the terms studied, "colorectal cancer" received the least Twitter attention.ConclusionsThe findings of the study provide evidence that social media can serve as a very powerful and important tool in implementing and disseminating critical prevention, screening, and treatment messages to the community in real-time. The study also introduced and tested a new methodology of identifying race and ethnicity among users of the social media. Study findings highlight the potential benefits of social media as a tool in reducing racial and ethnic disparities.

Awareness and acceptance of human papillomavirus vaccination among health sciences students in Malaysia.

The major cause of cervical cancer is human papillomavirus (HPV) for which vaccination is available. The success HPV vaccination programme largely depend on the degree of knowledge of the healthcare providers who can recommend to the public. Health sciences students as future healthcare providers play a major role in HPV vaccination initiatives. The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, practice and to find out the willingness to pay for HPV vaccination among the health sciences students in a private university. The cross-sectional study was conducted among the university students studying health sciences program using a validated questionnaire to measure their awareness and acceptance of HPV vaccination. The students demonstrated moderate knowledge about HPV infection and vaccination with mean knowledge scores of 9.3 out of 17. Students were showing positive attitude towards HPV vaccination with mean scores of 3.80 out of 5. However, low HPV vaccination uptake rate was reported among the students. Most of the students were willing to recommend HPV vaccine. The participants felt that the cost is the major barrier towards HPV vaccination and they felt the government should cover the cost of vaccination for all. The results of this study may be helpful in establishing educational policies on cervical cancer-related topics in the universities.

Communication avoidance, coping and psychological distress of women with breast cancer.

This study examined the relationship between communication avoidance of cancer-related topics with psychological distress, and the mediating role of coping strategies, in women with breast cancer. Women diagnosed with breast cancer (N = 338) completed an online survey including measures of self- and perceived-partner communication avoidance, psychological distress (depression, anxiety and stress), and coping strategies. Linear regression analyses indicated that women's and perceived-partner's communication avoidance was associated with anxiety, depression, and stress in the cancer-affected women. Bootstrapping analyses showed significant mediation effects of self- and perceived-partner communication avoidance on all distress outcomes through greater disengagement coping, and on anxiety through lower engagement coping. Emotionally valenced topics (i.e., disease progression and sexuality) were most avoided and practical issues were least avoided. Enhancing couple communication about cancer and women's adaptive coping skills (i.e., discourage use of disengagement coping strategies and promote use of engagement coping strategies) may be important targets for psychosocial intervention.

Patient-Centered Cancer Care Programs in Italy: Benchmarking Global Patient Education Initiatives.

In Italy, educational programs for cancer patients are currently provided by the national government, scientific societies, and patient advocate organizations. Several gaps limit their effectiveness, including the lack of coordinated efforts, poor involvement of patient feedback in the planning of programs, as well as a lack of resources on innovative cancer-related topics. This process is parallel to a strong shift in the attitude of patients towards health in general and taking charge of their own health conditions in particular. The National Cancer Institute in the USA and the Organization of European Cancer Institutes encourage comprehensive cancer centers in providing educational programs conceived to overcome these gaps. The goal of this paper is to identify and describe the key elements necessary to develop a global patient education program and provide recommendations for strategies with practical examples for implementation in the daily activities of cancer institutes. A multidisciplinary committee was established for patient education, including patient representatives as equal partners, to define, implement, verify, and evaluate the fundamental steps for establishing a comprehensive education program. Six essential topics were identified for the program: appropriate communication of cancer epidemiology, clinical trial information, new therapeutic technologies, support in the use of medicines, psycho-oncological interventions, age-personalized approaches, and training programs for healthcare providers. Integration of these topics along with patient feedback is the key to a successful model for educational programs. An integrated educational program can transform a comprehensive cancer center to an institution that provides research and care for and with patients.

Emotion episodes during psychotherapy sessions among women newly diagnosed with gynecological cancers.

The aim of this study was to describe emotion episodes during early and late psychotherapy sessions among women newly diagnosed with gynecological cancer and to examine whether the total number of emotion episodes during early and later sessions was associated with baseline psychological distress, dispositional emotion expressivity, and patient-rated therapeutic progress. The study utilized data from an ongoing study examining the efficacy of two psychotherapy interventions, a coping and communication intervention and a supportive counseling intervention, for women diagnosed with gynecological cancer. Emotion episode coding was completed for the first and sixth psychotherapy sessions for each patient randomized to receive psychotherapy (N = 173). Patients completed baseline survey measures of psychological distress and dispositional emotional expressivity and post-session ratings of therapeutic progress. The average number of emotion episodes was 7.4 in the first session and 5.2 episodes in the sixth session. In both sessions, the majority of emotion episodes contained only negative emotions and focused on a cancer-related topic. A higher number of emotion episodes in the first session was associated with higher psychological distress reported in the baseline survey (p = 0.02). A higher number of emotion episodes in the sixth session was associated with a higher number of emotion episodes in the first session (p < 0.001) and higher patient-rated progress as rated in the sixth session (p = 0.016). The findings highlight the importance of expressed emotions, particularly negative emotions about cancer-related topics, in therapeutic progress during psychotherapy among women diagnosed with gynecological cancer.

Putting evidence into practice.

The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Putting Evidence Into Practice (PEP®) resources provide easily accessible evidence-based resources on 20 cancer-related topics. Using a team-based approach, the ONS PEP teams search for relevant literature, create comprehensive summaries of empirically tested intervention research, and rank each intervention according to its effectiveness. PEP resources are available to nurses and other clinicians caring for people with cancer and their caregivers online and through multiple print sources. The purpose of this article is to explain the PEP process.

Evaluation of Talk Cancer, a cancer awareness training programme for community-based health staff and volunteers

BackgroundCancer Research UK's cancer awareness training programme, Talk Cancer, aims to equip and empower frontline health staff and volunteers to raise cancer awareness and promote health behaviour change in their community. Each interactive workshop aims to increase knowledge of messages around prevention, screening, and early diagnosis, and improve confidence in talking to the public about these issues. This study assessed the effect of workshops conducted across England between April, 2013, and March, 2014. MethodsSurveys before and after each workshop were completed by 346 (73%) of 473 trainees on the same day as training, and 14 in-depth qualitative telephone interviews were conducted with attendees recruited opportunistically. Surveys measured awareness of nine risk factors for cancer and of the three National Health Service cancer screening programmes, associations with the word cancer, and confidence to discuss four cancer-related topics with members of the public. Differences in responses before and after the workshops were analysed with χ2. Interview transcripts were analysed thematically, and themes were independently verified by two researchers. FindingsSurvey data indicated that awareness of all nine risk factors significantly increased (from 28% [67/240] before the workshops to 52% [131/251] after, p<0·0001) as did awareness of all three screening programmes (76% [218/287] to 98% [280/286], p<0·0001). Feeling fairly or very confident to discuss all four cancer-related topics also increased significantly (35% [92/263] to 98% [263/269], p<0·0001). Trainees most commonly associated words related to hope and survival with cancer after the workshops and words related to death and fear before the workshops. Interviewees reported feeling more open to the topic of cancer and more able to initiate and manage conversations about cancer. They also reported learning about the link between lifestyle and cancer and the importance of early diagnosis and said they were disseminating early diagnosis messages. InterpretationTalk Cancer training increased awareness of prevention and early diagnosis and increased confidence to talk about cancer. It helped trainees feel more open about cancer and more able to have conversations with the public, particularly about the importance of early diagnosis. Although post-workshop surveys were completed immediately after the workshops and the sample for interviews was small and self-selected, use of quantitative and qualitative methods helped to verify findings and enrich results. FundingNone.

Abstract ED03-01: Using communication science to reduce cancer health disparities: Inequities in access and opportunities for narrowing the digital divide

Abstract The changing communication and media landscape brought on by the rise of social media and mobile platforms has significant implications on cancer control and prevention efforts. Over the last decade, the online landscape has changed from a space characterized primarily by static content into one that is defined by dynamic networks, interactivity, and user-generated content. Online cancer communication—whether about screening, tobacco use, or treatment options—is becoming ubiquitous, and the boundary between health communicators and their audience is blurred. This high volume of content is contains cancer communication of all types—from evidence-based advice to myths and inaccuracies. Scientists have the opportunity to leverage these conversations both to understand public knowledge, attitudes and perceptions about cancer and to support cancer control efforts. Despite the changes in communication patterns, barriers (such as reliable Internet access and cell phone services) persist among poor and underserved populations. However, opportunities to narrow the access gap are growing and increasingly being explored in light of high social and mobile media penetration rates among racial/ethnic minorities. New media platforms hold potential for narrowing the digital divide, and enabling equitable patient education and empowerment programs. This presentation will: 1) highlight the role of social and mobile media in communication about cancer, both in peer-driven online communities as well as public health and clinical care; 2) explore current patterns of social media use by socio-demographic and health factors (including race/ethnicity, age, sex, education, health status) and identify opportunities for narrowing the digital divide; 3) discuss communication research priorities and promising new methods and approaches. Recent findings from NCI's 2012-13 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) and the PEW Internet American Life Project will be highlighted to show trends and patterns of online communication. Specific attention will be drawn to data on social media engagement among racial/ethnic minorities and underserved populations in order to highlight opportunities for alleviating burdens of cancer disparities. In addition, we will feature exemplary communication research mining and analyzing social media interactions to understand cancer-related attitudes and behaviors, as well as a number of online cancer control interventions using social media. These examples will cover a wide range of cancer control efforts from tobacco control, HPV vaccination education, cancer screening communication, cancer survivorship support, to promotion of healthy diet and physical activities. As the Internet continues to affect the way we seek and share health information and engage in health care, understanding how the online communication landscape is being used to share cancer-related topics can inform strategies for increasing the reach and effectiveness of evidence-based cancer information. In order to address cancer health disparities, increasing equitable Internet access, promoting digital health literacy, and identifying influential online networks amendable to intervention are among top priorities in cancer communication research. Citation Format: Wen-ying Sylvia Chou. Using communication science to reduce cancer health disparities: Inequities in access and opportunities for narrowing the digital divide. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Sixth AACR Conference: The Science of Cancer Health Disparities; Dec 6–9, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2014;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr ED03-01. doi:10.1158/1538-7755.DISP13-ED03-01

The emerging roles of microRNAs in cancer metabolism

The major goal of cancer therapy is to destroy cancer cells without harming normal cells. However, because cancer cells have incredible heterogeneity and adaptability, it is difficult to target them therapeutically. Metabolic reprogramming has emerged as a common feature of cancer. Ever since microRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to influence metabolism, researchers have been trying to address the connection between cancer cells and specific miRNAs. Many of the well-known miRNAs relate to crucial genes that can impact metabolic pathways, both negatively and positively. With a better understanding of how different pathways are affected, the roles of miRNAs will be more transparent, which could lead to the discovery of new ideas about the concept of tumorigenesis and other cancer-related topics.

Multicultural Media Outreach: Increasing Cancer Information Coverage in Minority Communities

Ethnic media can serve as an opportunity for cancer education and outreach to minority communities. The National Cancer Institute developed the Multicultural Media Outreach (MMO) program which utilizes an integrated approach of both traditional and social media to disseminate evidence-based cancer education information for minority communities. The MMO program is the contact point for multicultural media outlets seeking evidence-based cancer information, education materials, minority spokespersons, and news tailored to minority communities affected by cancer health disparities. MMO developed Lifelines®, a cancer education series that addresses cancer prevention, treatment, survivorship, clinical trials, and other cancer-related topics for African American, Hispanic, Asian American, American Indian, and Alaska Native audiences. Lifelines® content is disseminated through traditional media (radio, print, and television) as well as social media (web, Twitter, YouTube, and RSS feed). This article describes the MMO program and lessons learned to date.