#ColonCancer: Social Media Discussions About Colorectal Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic

PURPOSE Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Social media platforms such as Twitter are extensively used to communicate about cancer care, yet little is known about the role of these online platforms in promoting early detection or sharing the lived experiences of patients with CRC. This study tracked Twitter discussions about CRC and characterized participating users to better understand public communication and perceptions of CRC during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS Tweets containing references to CRC were collected from January 2020 to April 2021 using Twitter's Application Programming Interface. Account metadata was used to predict user demographic information and classify users as either organizations, individuals, clinicians, or influencers. We compared the number of impressions across users and analyzed the content of tweets using natural language processing models to identify prominent topics of discussion. RESULTS There were 72,229 unique CRC-related tweets by 31,170 users. Most users were male (66%) and older than 40 years (57%). Individuals accounted for most users (44%); organizations (35%); clinicians (19%); and influencers (2%). Influencers made the most median impressions (35,853). Organizations made the most overall impressions (1,067,189,613). Tweets contained the following topics: bereavement (20%), appeals for early detection (20%), research (17%), National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month (15%), screening access (14%), and risk factors (14%). CONCLUSION Discussions about CRC largely focused on bereavement and early detection. Online coverage of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and personal experiences with CRC effectively stimulated goal-oriented tweets about early detection. Our findings suggest that although Twitter is commonly used for communicating about CRC, partnering with influencers may be an effective strategy for improving communication of future public health recommendations related to CRC.

Oral Cancer Knowledge and Awareness among Patients Referred to a University Dental Hospital in North Cyprus

Public knowledge about oral cancer may help to prevent and detect the disease at an early stage. This study aimed to evaluate the awareness and knowledge levels on oral cancer symptoms and risk factors among patients attending a faculty of dentistry in North Cyprus. A total of 250 adult dental patients participated voluntarily in a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions on sociodemographic profile, oral cancer awareness, and knowledge. A total of 54.8% of the participants were male and 91.2% of the participants had a high school diploma and above education. Most participants were knowledgeable about oral cancer symptoms and a majority of them identified oral ulceration (64%). Tobacco cessation was the most selected option for protecting from oral cancer (79.6%). Significant differences were found between genders in current smokers, past tobacco users, alcohol users, and HPV awareness questions (p < 0.05). Furthermore, awareness and knowledge questions were compared between smoker and non-smoker participants and significant differences were found in the answers of ‘alcohol may cause mouth cancer’ and ‘quit tobacco use to prevent oral cancer’ (p < 0.05). This study showed that most of the participants were aware that tobacco cessation reduces the risk of oral cancer. The survey results showed that patients in North Cyprus are generally aware of the risk of tobacco-related oral cancer, but they demonstrate lower knowledge about other risk factors.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Dental Practitioners towards Screening for Oral Pre-Cancer and Cancer

One of the global health issues is Oral cancer, which has an increased death rate. Awareness of oral cancer screening is important for oral health care professionals for early detection and improving the patients' survival rate. Attitude towards oral cancer awareness and knowledge of oral cancer screening are the key factors that impact oral cancer awareness success. Materials and Methods: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of dental practitioners and dental students towards screening for oral pre-cancer and cancer. This study included dental practitioners working in various academic institutions and private practitioners in Chennai. Participants were asked to fill in age, gender, designation, and experience. A structured questionnaire consisting of 10 questions, each having four options, was administered to the participants. The data collected was 100 responses analyzed by statistical package for the social science (spss inc., version 16 for, Chicago, IL, USA). Simple descriptive statistics were used to describe the distribution of data collected. T-test and ANOVA were employed to assess the statistically significant difference in the KAP scores between different groups. Results: The response rate for the present study was 100%. 37% of general dental practitioners reported that they routinely do a thorough oral examination for all the patients,52% agree that they are adequately trained to examine patients for oral pre-cancer and cancer screening,8% of them reported that they never do toluidine blue staining for patients with oral lesion. Majority(57) of them agree that they would recommend biopsy for suspected cases of oral cancer. Only 9% of the participants were aware of the time required for intraoral screening examination. 31% of them were aware of the risk of malignant transformation in a white lesion. 73% of the participants were aware of the occurrence of oral cancer in non - tobacco users was rare. 53% of agree that thorough intraoral examination for oral cancer will reduce oral cancer mortality and morbidity.

Breast cancer awareness and downstaging practices among adult women in the Gulu City Main Market, Northern Uganda: A cross-sectional study

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common cancers that occur worldwide among women. There were more disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost to breast cancer among women worldwide than any other cancers, and DALYs occurred in women globally after puberty, with increasing rates later in life. Improvements in breast cancer survival began in the 1980s in countries where early detection programs combined with different modes of treatment to eradicate the invasive form of the disease were practiced. Recent data showed that there was a higher prevalence of breast cancer among women in Northern Uganda than among women in the rest of Uganda.The objective of this study was to determine factors associated with breast cancer awareness, breast self-examination (BSE), clinical breast examination (CBE), and other modalities for screening and early breast cancer detection among adult women in the Gulu main market.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Gulu main market in 2020. A total of 98 adult women were recruited for the study by a random sampling method. The questionnaire had an internal validity of Cronbach’s α=0.72. The study was approved by a local IRB. SPSS version 26.0 was used for data analysis, and a p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant.Results: Most participants were 20-29 years 41(41.8%), married 44(44.9%), monthly incomes of >UGX1 million shillings 51(52.2%), Acholi 81(82.7%), Catholics 46(46.9%), vendors 75(76.5%), duration of work in the market (1-10 years) 64(65.4%), primary level of education 39(39.8%), and had 1-2 pregnancies 37(37.8%). The independent factors associated with breast cancer awareness, breast self-examination, and clinical breast examination were vendor (primary occupation) (β=-0.130, t=-2.979, p<0.004), duration of work in the market (1-10 years) (β=-0.186, t=-2.452, p<0.016), and higher level of education (β=-0.091, t=-2.506, p<0.014).Conclusions: Breast cancer awareness and downstaging practices in adult women in the Gulu main market were thought-provoking. Women with better socioeconomic status (higher education, moderate work duration in the market and primarily vendors) in the Gulu main market were more likely aware and practiced breast cancer downstaging activities. There is a need to strengthen publicity on breast cancer-related knowledge for lower-income occupational groups and those with lower education levels to better understand the importance of conducting BSE, CBE, and mammography for early breast cancer detection.

Women’s health concern in Jordan: knowledge, practice and barriers toward cervical cancer screening

Purpose Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most important health issues faced by women worldwide. The purpose of this study is to identify Jordanian women’s knowledge, barriers and measures pertaining to risk factors and screening choices of CC (Pap smear tests). Design/methodology/approach This study applied a cross sectional design by collecting data from a convenient sample of 200 women between 20 and 70 years of age in health and public centers in Jordan. Data was then analyzed using the descriptive statistical tools of SPSS, version 21. Findings The findings revealed that 55.5% of the participants had no information about the Pap smear, and 75% did not know the risk factors. Moreover, 50% of the sample did not know where to take the test, and 50% reported a lack of encouragement from the husband to undertake the test. More than half of the participants (56.5%) expressed fear that cervical screening would be a painful examination even though they reported not having any previous experience with the test. Originality/value Based on these findings, public education about CC screening is essential, including advertising and a campaign similar to the breast cancer awareness programs in Jordan, as a way of encouraging early screening to improve the health of women.

Protocol for #iBeatCRC: a community-based intervention to increase early-onset colorectal cancer awareness using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach

IntroductionTh last two decades have seen a twofold increase in colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence among individuals under the recommended screening age of 50 years. Although the origin of this early-onset CRC (EOCRC) spike remains unknown, prior studies have reported that EOCRC harbours a distinct molecular and clinical phenotype in younger individuals. The sharp increase in EOCRC incidence rates may be attributable to a complex interplay of factors, including race; lifestyle; and ecological, sociodemographic and geographical factors. However, more research that address psychosocial experiences and accounts for lifestyle-related behaviours before, during and after an EOCRC diagnosis are warranted. This study aims to develop and pilot test a theory-driven, community-based intervention to increase awareness of EOCRC, reduce its associated risk factors and improve early detection among adults aged 18–49 years.Methods and analysisGuided by the Behaviour Change Wheel, we will use a multistage mixed-methods study design. We will pilot a sequential mixed-methods intervention study as follows: (1) First, we will analyse linked quantitative data from the Utah Cancer Registry and National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registry, linked to state-wide demographic and vital records in the Utah Population Database to identify EOCRC hotspots in Utah by examining the EOCRC incidence and survival variance explained by personal and county-level factors. (2) Next, we will conduct one-on-one interviews with 20 EOCRC survivors residing in EOCRC hotspots to ascertain psychosocial and lifestyle challenges that accompany an EOCRC diagnosis. (3) Finally, we will consider existing evidence-based approaches, our integrated results (quantitative +qualitative) and community action board input to design a community-based intervention to increase EOCRC awareness that can feasibly be delivered by means of outdoor mass media, and via social media. We will pilot the multicomponent media campaign with a quasiexperimental design among 17 EOCRC hotspot residents and 17 EOCRC ‘coldspot’ residents.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval was obtained from the University of Utah Institutional Review Board (IRB_00138357). Signed informed consent will be obtained from all participants prior to any data collection. Study results will be disseminated through CRC community blogs, targeted infographics, conference presentations at national and international professional conferences and publications in peer-reviewed journals. Final intervention-specific data will be available on reasonable request from the corresponding author.Trial registration numberNCT04715074.

ORAL CANCER AWARENESS AMONG NON-MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS - A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY IN LADAKH

Introduction:Oral Cancer is the fifth‑most common cancer and is the cause of 130,000 deaths worldwide annually. It is a global health problem with an increasing incidence and mortality rate and also has one of the lowest survival rates.Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the awareness about Oral Cancer among non-medicalprofessionals in Ladakh. Methodology:A questionnaire-based survey was conducted over a period ofsixmonth among the different areas of Ladakh to assess the knowledge and awareness about Oral Cancer among non-medical professionals in Ladakh. A questionnaire containing 20 questions pertaining to awareness, signs, symptoms and risk factors of Oral Cancer was submitted to the participants. Results:Participants who completed the questionnaire had a poor understanding of Oral Cancer, particularly with regard to etiology, signs, symptoms & risk factors. Conclusion:Overall, the awareness about Oral Cancer among the non-medical professionalsin Ladakh was not satisfactory pointing to the need of mass awareness and dissemination of information about Oral Cancer and its risk factors.

Association of Race With Cancer-Related Financial Toxicity

PURPOSE: We investigated the association between race and FT among previous patients with cancer. Studies show that patients with cancer experience financial toxicity (FT) because of their cancer treatment. METHODS: Data on individuals with a cancer history were collected in this cross-sectional study during 2012, 2014, and 2017, from the US Health Information National Trends Survey. This survey is conducted by mail with monetary compensation as an incentive. We specifically assessed responses to two questions: Has cancer hurt you financially? Have you been denied health insurance because of cancer? Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to assess the associations between these questions and race. RESULTS: Of 10,592 individuals participating, 1,328 men and women (12.5%) with a cancer history were assessed. Compared with Blacks, Whites were found to have a higher rate of insurance (95.4% v 90.0%), were more likely to receive cancer treatment (93.9% v 85%), and had a higher rate of surgical treatment than Blacks (77% v 60%), Hispanics (55%), and others (77%, 60%, 55%, and 74.2%, respectively, P < .001). On multivariable analysis, Blacks were more than five times as likely to be denied insurance (odds ratio, 5.003; 95% CI, 2.451 to 10.213; P < .001) and more than twice as likely to report being hurt financially because of cancer (odds ratio, 2.448; 95% CI, 1.520 to 3.941; P < .001) than Whites. Of all cancer groups analyzed (genitourinary, gynecologic, gastrointestinal, and breast), genitourinary malignancies were the only group in which the rate of reporting being hurt financially varied in a statistically significant manner (Whites 36.7%, Hispanics 62.5%, and Blacks 59.3%, P = .004). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that race is significantly associated with FT because of cancer. Awareness of racial inequality with regards to FT should be raised among health care workers.

Is “Movember” an Effective Prostate Cancer Awareness Campaign Beyond the English Language? Insights From Google Trends Among Spanish Speakers

Objective To evaluate the impact of the “Movember” awareness campaign (men’s health campaign that takes place every November) on internet search trends for information online about prostate cancer and to compare the results with those for “Pinktober” (the breast cancer awareness campaign that takes place in October) in the Spanish language as an indirect measure of its effectiveness. Methods Google Trends was used to evaluate the monthly relative search volumes (RSV) of the terms “cáncer de próstata” (prostate cancer), “cáncer de mama” (breast cancer), and “Movember” from January 2009 to December 2019 both in Spain and worldwide (in the Spanish language). Breast cancer was used as a comparator of the campaign impact. Mean increase in RSV on-campaign and off-campaign was calculated and compared using the Mann-Whitney U test and Joinpoint regression analysis to assess loss or gain of interest. Results The term “cáncer de próstata” showed a statistically significant increase during the campaign months both in Spain (17.4%; P < 0.001) and worldwide (35.4%; P < 0.001). Both “cáncer de próstata” and Movember showed a decreasing trend worldwide and in Spain, while “cáncer de mama” showed an increasing trend. Conclusion The Movember campaign generates a statistically significant increase in the search trends on “cancer de próstata” (prostate cancer) during the month of November (both in Spain and worldwide); when compared with the breast cancer campaign “Pinktober” these increases are of a lesser magnitude but still significant, suggesting that the campaign is effective beyond the English language, although the interest has been decreasing throughout the years.