Study: Cancer Victims Helped By Internet

Temple University scientists say they’ve found newly diagnosed cancer patients who use the Internet to gain information are more active in their treatment.

This is the first study to look at the relationship between Internet use and patient behaviors, said principal investigator and public health professor Sarah Bass. We wanted to see if access to readily available information about their condition helped patients to cope with issues such as hair loss and other treatment side effects.

For the study, the Philadelphia researchers recruited 442 patients who called a toll free National Cancer Institute number to ask questions about the disease.

The survey uncovered strong parallels between Internet use and patients’ feelings about their treatment. Those using the Internet — or receiving Internet information from family or friends — were more likely to view their relationship with their physicians as a partnership, and were more comfortable asking questions and challenging treatment alternatives.

The research appears in the March issue of the Journal of Health Communication.