Breast cancer on social media: a quali-quantitative study on the credibility and content type of the most shared news stories

Abstract

Background Female breast cancer was the most diagnosed cancer in 2020, with more than two million new cases worldwide. Access to scientifically correct information can assist patients in early detection or prevention of the disease. However, misinformation on social networking sites (SNSs) about breast cancer can be propagated rapidly, posing a threat to health communication efforts. The aim of this study is to analyse the characteristics of the most shared news stories referencing the disease that circulated on SNSs, including the credibility of this content. Methods This is an exploratory quali-quantitative study. Data collection was conducted between June 2019 and June 2020. We performed statistical and content analysis of the stories that had at least 1,000 total shares. Each story was classified in accordance to the following aspects: credibility; type of rumour; source; content type; mentions prevention or early detection/screening exams. Results The abundance of news stories in our sample (n = 1,594) were not classified according to their credibility, as they do not address science, risk factors, prevention, treatment, or other aspects which can be assessed for scientific accuracy. However, content classified as “rumours” are 3.29 times more shared than those considered scientifically correct. Regarding content type, most stories are classified as ‘real-life story’ or ‘solidarity’ (67.69%). In our sample, 5.08% of the total comment on prevention and 19.7% reference early detection. Conclusion We consider it can be a good strategy, in SNSs, to combine content of greater popularity, such as real-life stories, with subjects that can make a difference in a patient’s life, such as early detection, breast cancer symptoms and disease prevention strategies. Doctors, scientists and health journalists can expand the dialogue with the lay public regarding breast cancer, helping to counteract online misinformation.

Utopian or dystopian? The portrayal of the metaverse in popular news on social media

“…First, collecting samples from BuzzSumo has a liability problem with the algorithm used to determine the engagement rate of new articles. Although many studies have recently employed this method for their social media research [ 58 , 61 ], the nontransparent ranking rules may still raise criticism. And we don't know if all relevant articles are achieved in its database.…”

“…This platform has also been widely employed by scholars to gather most shared news on social media regarding a particular topic (see e.g., [ [58] , [59] , [60] , [61] ]). For example, Biancovilli and her colleagues [ 58 ] conducted content analysis with the most shared news stories on social media after putting in keyword “breast cancer” on BuzzSumo. Waszak and his colleagues [ 61 ] collected 80 samples from keyword search on BuzzSumo to detect the presence of medical fake news on social media.…”

“…Second, this cut would make it manageable for frame analysis. The previous quantitative content analysis had a similar sample size around 100 most shared news [ [58] , [59] , [60] , [61] ].…”

Understanding the Social Mechanism of Cancer Misinformation Spread on YouTube and Lessons Learned: Infodemiological Study

“…Thus, it is imperative that public health agencies and health professionals advocate for proactive measures to offset the detrimental consequences of social media misinformation [10][11][12][13]. Numerous solutions have been proposed, including digital literacy education [4], accurate information provision [11,14], and media campaigning [15]. While these solutions seek to provide "true" information, rarely have studies been done on concrete and effective ways to disrupt the flow of misinformation on social media, particularly based on an analysis of the current social media information flow network.…”

How TikTok Is Being Used to Help Individuals Cope With Breast Cancer: Cross-sectional Content Analysis

“…Twitter generated more traffic when it came to both male and female reproductive cancer campaigns than Instagram, leading researchers to consider Instagram as an underused resource for the communication of information to the public about these cancers [ 10 ]. The most shared material on social networking sites is personal or social in nature; two-thirds of posts portray true experiences or otherwise provide support [ 19 ]. It is also used as a form of self-distraction from the stressors caused by a new, recurring, or terminal illness [ 20 ], which is helpful to both providers and patients.…”