Cancer Patients Look to Internet

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The Internet can help cancer patients have a more positive outlook and become more active participants in their treatment, according to a new study.

In this first study to look at the relationship between Internet use and patient behaviors, researchers at Temple University in Philadelphia, found those who are newly diagnosed with cancer see the Internet as a powerful tool, both for getting information and for giving patients more confidence to make informed decisions.

Researchers say patients who used the Internet or received Internet information from family or friends were more likely to view their relationship with their doctors as a partnership. And they were more comfortable asking questions and challenging treatment alternatives.

The study also reveals 44.5 percent of those who started out as non-users turned to the Internet directly or indirectly for information after eight weeks. About 75 percent of them said it was due to either encouragement from family or friends or the diagnosis of cancer itself.

"They didn't want to feel powerless or have to rely on the doctor to make all of the decisions," says Sarah Bass, Ph.D., principal investigator and public health professor at Temple.

Bass says now is the time for patients to do their own medical research online, as more funding is cut for phone hotlines. But she warns, "Stick to Web sites that are associated with large, well-recognized non-profit groups or get recommendations from your physician."

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SOURCE: Journal of Health Communication, 2006;11:1-18