Social Media Perceptions of Surgical Cancer Care in the Era of COVID-19: A Global Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

PURPOSE The rapid dissemination of information through social media renders a profound lens to evaluate perceptions of emerging topics, especially in the context of a global pandemic. The primary objective of this cross-sectional study was to elucidate trends on social media in the setting of surgical cancer care affected by the COVID-19 pandemic across the globe. METHODS A public search of Twitter from April 1 to 30, 2020, was conducted, which yielded 996 posts related to COVID-19 and cancer. Two authors (E.J.K. and H.S.) individually reviewed all posts and recorded the post category, engagement, author category, and geographic location. Data were then analyzed through descriptive analyses. Only English-language posts were included, and any noncancer- or non-COVID–related posts were excluded from the analysis. RESULTS A total of 734 unique authors from 26 different countries wrote 996 relevant posts that averaged 12.0 likes, 4.7 retweets, and 0.5 hashtags per post. Only 2.3% (23 of 996) of posts included a video. Authors of the included tweets most frequently were friends and families of patients (183; 18.4%), academic institutions or organizations (182; 18.3%), and physicians (138; 13.9%). Topics of importance were cancellations of surgeries (299; 40.1%), COVID-19 education (211; 121.2%), and research studies (93; 9.3%). The United Kingdom and the United States made up 81.5% of the cohort, followed by Canada (6.6%) and India (2.4%). Of posts where a specific type of surgery was identified (196), the most common type mentioned was breast cancer (50; 25.5%), followed by lung cancer (37; 18.9%) and urologic cancer (22; 11.2%). CONCLUSION This analysis provides insight into the resulting impacts of COVID-19 on the global discussion of surgical cancer care.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on care and psychological impact on cancer patients

“…A survey of 343 oncologists from 28 countries on the impact of COVID-19 on decision-making showed that the majority stated that they would use less chemotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors and/or steroids, and would be more hesitant to use second-or third-line therapies for patients with advanced cancer [52,57]. Cancellations of cancerrelated surgeries were around 40.1%, especially in breast, lung, and urological cancer [58]. Treatment modification has been observed in all lines of therapy: 41.4% in perioperative care, 62.9% in palliative, and 76% in endocrine treatments [59].…”

COVID-19 and Global Oncology: A Year in Review

“… 13 The treatment modification was observed across all lines of therapy, ie, adjuvant and neoadjuvant (41.4%), palliative (62.9%), or injectable endocrine or bone-modulating only (76.0%) treatments. For cancer-related surgery, Keil et al 14 reported results of a Twitter survey that provided insight into the impact of COVID-19 on the global discussion surrounding surgical cancer care. An essential topic for debate analyzed via Twitter posts was the cancellation of cancer-related surgeries (40.1%), of which the most common types mentioned were breast cancer, lung cancer, and urologic cancer.…”