Abstract PO-019: General social media use amongst young adult cancer patients and caregivers
Authors: Smith Keely K. , Green Ashley , Jimenez Jennifer Traslavina , Badger Terry , Warner Echo L. 
Published: January 2022

Purpose: Our purpose was to describe the social media platforms and experiences of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients and caregivers. We aimed to identify the general social media use of this group in order to determine the information seeking and sharing behaviors within the AYA cancer experience. Methods: From March 2021 to July 2021, we recruited participants through online repositories (e.g., ResearchMatch), and posted flyers on social media and at a large adolescent and young adult (AYA) conference. Eligible participants included 1) cancer patients who were between the ages of 18-39 and were diagnosed within this age range, use social media weekly, and speaks English and 2) informal cancer caregivers between the ages of 18-39, use social media weekly, and speaks English. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants over the telephone. We summarized sociodemographic and cancer factors, then categorized qualitative and quantitative data about general social media usage into platform use, differences between platform experiences, and information found. Results: There were 50 participants who completed an online screening form regarding social media platform usage, 17 of whom completed the study (36.0% participation rate). Of the 17 participants, Facebook (88.2%), Instagram (82.3%), and Twitter (76.5%) were the most common social media platforms used. Participants described that when using social media during cancer their preferred platforms were Facebook and Instagram, respectively, because of their ease of use and accessibility. This allowed a large population of cancer patients to be active on these platforms. Facebook was used most frequently for finding support through “groups”, from which participants could seek advice, anecdotes, or support from other cancer patients. On Instagram, participants most often interacted with cancer information through cancer specific pages like “Stupid Cancer” or “The Cancer Patient”. These pages target the adolescent-young adult age group. Participants felt as if the aspect of humor, the sharing of survival stories, research findings and opportunities, and fellow cancer survivors within the comments or through direct messages helped support them. The anecdotes/stories that were shared on social media often detailed a patient's treatment regimen, survivorship, and daily life, which helped patients and caregivers analyze their own cancer experiences and routines. Conclusions: Adolescents and young adults are diagnosed at a developmentally unique time in life, where they may seek support and comfort through social media platforms. By studying the types of platforms used, the reasons for using social media, and patterns of social media use this work provides a foundation for targeting AYA cancer patients and caregivers for social media interventions.

Citation Format: Keely K. Smith, Ashley Green, Jennifer Traslavina Jimenez, Terry Badger, Echo L. Warner. General social media use amongst young adult cancer patients and caregivers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: 14th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2021 Oct 6-8. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-019.