Abstract P6-05-48: Perceptions About Breast Cancer in North Africa: A Social Listening Project
Authors: Ladjeroud Amel , Ghoul Ahlem El , Mohamed Magdy 
Published: March 2023

Background Social media platforms are a versatile platform used for exchange of information. It is increasingly being used by patients, caregivers, and physicians to interact and engage among themselves and with healthcare organizations. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world, with ~2.3 million cases in 2020 alone. Hence, it is vital to understand the perceptions about breast cancer from a wider lookout to bridge the gaps in patient management. The objective of this study was to understand the trends in social media conversations and current perceptions about breast cancer in the North African countries.

Methods Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies hosted by Brandwatch (a social analytics tool) were used to scan 100M websites to analyze publicly visible online conversations about cancer between November 1, 2018 and October 31, 2021. Conversations from 6 North African countries i.e. Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara were analyzed in 3 languages (Arabic, English, and French). Conversations were filtered to isolate breast cancer and related mentions. To isolate the voice of breast cancer patients and their caregivers, manual review of all non-news content in which pronouns appeared within 7 words proximity of disease terms was carried out.

Results A total volume of 53,354 conversations (43,785 Arabic, 6,161 English, and 3,408 French) on breast cancer were analyzed. Breast cancer was the most discussed cancer type, contributing to 63% of Arabic, 61% of English, and 66% of French conversations among total cancer related conversations. Egypt led the volume of breast cancer related conversations in Arabic and English, followed by Sudan. Morocco led the volume of conversations in French, followed by Tunisia. For all 3 languages, the proportion of male authors dominated the volume of conversations as compared to female authors (60% of Arabic, 54% of English, and 56% of French). A total volume of 590 (347 Arabic, 158 English, and 85 French) conversations about breast cancer were identified as patient related. Twitter was the most popular platform for Arabic and English-speaking populations. The most discussed topic about breast cancer was identified to be ‘Pink October’ or ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Month’. Across all languages, impact on mental health and financial security was a significant patient concern. Many people reached out directly to the online community for financial support. In Arabic conversations, female patients expressed concern about impact on their relationship with their spouse (or future spouse) due to their condition. Patient conversations about the BReast CAncer gene (BRCA) were also observed. However, there is little evidence about the extent of awareness among patients or their caregivers. There were scarce mentions about male/transgender breast cancer among conversations. Discussions about raising awareness, early detection, and self-checking of breast cancer were also identified.

Conclusion Breast cancer was the most discussed type of cancer in North African countries. Patients and caregivers sought financial support on social media platforms. Based on types of conversations identified, it can be inferred that patients do not actively seek information about treatments and cancer management on social media. These insights can be utilized to engage patients, caregivers, patient advocacy groups, and influencers to address concerns and disseminate accurate and simplified information for mass consumption.

Table 1. Types of Patient Conversations*.

Citation Format: Amel Ladjeroud, Ahlem El Ghoul, Magdy Mohamed. Perceptions About Breast Cancer in North Africa: A Social Listening Project [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-05-48.