Observational studyJournal of medical Internet research2020
Web-Based Medical Information Searching by Chinese Patients With Breast Cancer and its Influence on Survival: Observational Study.
Observational study in Journal of medical Internet research, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed.
- Patterns and associated factors of online health information seeking behaviors among young women diagnosed with breast cancer in China.Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing · 2025Article
- Quality of cerebral palsy videos on Chinese social media platforms.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- The Association Between Internet Use and Co-occurring Health Care Needs: Cross-Sectional Study in China.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Online health information seeking behavior among breast cancer patients and survivors: a scoping review.BMC women's health · 2025Article
- Comparative readability of information on different treatment options for breast cancer, based on WeChat public accounts.PloS one · 2025Article
- Internet Access and Use by Patients with Gynecologic Malignancies: A Cross-Sectional Study.Cancers · 2024Article
- Health information-seeking experience in people with head and neck neoplasms undergoing treatment: a qualitative study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024Article
- Quality evaluation of health information about breast cancer treatment found on WeChat public accounts.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2023Article
- Perceived feasibility and usefulness of mHealth interventions for psychoeducational support among Nigerian women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer: a focus group study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2022Article
- Quality Assessment of Hypertension Treatment-Related Information on WeChat: Cross-sectional Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2022Article
- What Causes Health Information Avoidance Behavior under Normalized COVID-19 Pandemic? A Research from Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Development of a Prognostic App (iCanPredict) to Predict Survival for Chinese Women With Breast Cancer: Retrospective Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2022Article
- Assessing the Quality of Online Health Information About Breast Cancer from Chinese Language Websites: Quality Assessment Survey.JMIR cancer · 2021Article
- Digital Technical and Informal Resources of Breast Cancer Patients From 2012 to 2020: Questionnaire-Based Longitudinal Trend Study.JMIR cancer · 2021Article
- Current Status of Out-of-Hospital Management of Cancer Patients and Awareness of Internet Medical Treatment: A Questionnaire Survey.Frontiers in public health · 2021Article
- Impact of the Internet on Medical Decisions of Chinese Adults: Longitudinal Data Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2020Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
backgroundThe internet allows patients to easily look for health information. However, how Chinese patients with breast cancer use the internet has rarely been investigated, and there is a scarcity of information about the influence of internet use on survival.
objectiveThis observational study aimed to investigate the details of online medical information searching by Chinese patients with breast cancer and to determine whether internet use has any survival benefits.
methodsPatients who were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 2014 and December 2015 were enrolled. We obtained information on their internet-searching behavior and gathered data from the patients' medical and follow-up records. The associations between internet use and other clinic-pathological factors were analyzed. A Cox proportional-hazards model and the Kaplan-Meier method were used for disease-free survival (DFS) analyses.
resultsA total of 973 patients with invasive breast cancer who underwent definitive surgery took part in the study. Among them, 477 cases (49.0%) performed web-based breast cancer information searching before the initial treatment. A multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that web-based breast cancer information searching was significantly associated with younger age (odds ratio [OR] 0.95, 95% CI 0.94-0.97, P<.001), higher education level (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.01-1.86, P=.04), and breast conserving surgery (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.04-1.77, P=.03). Baidu (73.4%, 350/477) and WeChat (66.7%, 318/477) were the two most popular online information sources for breast cancer; however, only 44.9% (214/477) felt satisfied with the online information. In contrast to the nonweb searching group, the web-using patients who were satisfied with online information showed significantly improved DFS (hazard ratio 0.26; 95% CI 0.08-0.88, P=.03).
conclusionsThe patients who were most likely to search the internet for breast cancer information were younger and well-educated, and they were more likely to have breast conserving therapy. Web-using patients who were satisfied with the internet information showed significantly improved DFS. Patients should browse credible websites offering accurate and updated information, and website developers should provide high-quality and easy-to-understand information to better meet the needs of patients with breast cancer.
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