Most cancer patients actively seek information as a coping mechanism that helps them gain control, understand their condition, and find support. While preferred information sources change over time, healthcare professionals are key during diagnosis while other patient’s experiences become valuable during recovery. In this study we explored posts on X to understand how patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals benefit from these discussions. Using keywords from a qualitative study, we collected 118,112 Tweets from January 1, 2023, to November 4, 2024. Through analyzing these with CBOW models and topic modeling, we identified topics like side effects, intimacy, and early detection. Despite targeted searches, we found some irrelevant discussions. We concluded that, while social media can be overwhelming, applying methodological filters can provide valuable firsthand experiences and practical advice for cancer patients and their supporters.

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Cancer Patient’s Shared Experiences: A Study of Social Media Posts

  • Tove Faber Frandsen,
  • Martin Rehm,
  • Stig Børsen Hansen

摘要

Most cancer patients actively seek information as a coping mechanism that helps them gain control, understand their condition, and find support. While preferred information sources change over time, healthcare professionals are key during diagnosis while other patient’s experiences become valuable during recovery. In this study we explored posts on X to understand how patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals benefit from these discussions. Using keywords from a qualitative study, we collected 118,112 Tweets from January 1, 2023, to November 4, 2024. Through analyzing these with CBOW models and topic modeling, we identified topics like side effects, intimacy, and early detection. Despite targeted searches, we found some irrelevant discussions. We concluded that, while social media can be overwhelming, applying methodological filters can provide valuable firsthand experiences and practical advice for cancer patients and their supporters.