Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39636575›Full record

Trial reportJournal of cancer survivorship : research and practice2026

Reddit for research recruitment? Social media as a novel clinical trial recruitment tool for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors.

Helen R Mizrach, Michaela Markwart, Rachel L Rosen, Elyse R Park, Lucy Finkelstein-Fox, Christopher J Recklitis, Giselle K Perez

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Helen R MizrachMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. hmizrach@mgh.harvard.edu.
Michaela MarkwartMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Rachel L RosenMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Elyse R ParkMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Lucy Finkelstein-FoxMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Christopher J RecklitisDana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
Giselle K PerezMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Funding

Research Training in Complementary and Integrative MedicineT32AT000051 · NCCIH · HARVARD UNIVERSITY (MEDICAL SCHOOL) · PI GLORIA Y YEH · 1999 to 2026
$10.2M
Building Resiliency Among Survivors of Cancers Diagnosed During Adolescence and Young Adulthood (AYAs): A Relaxation Response Resiliency Program for AYAs (3RP-AYA)K07CA211955 · NCI · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI PEREZ-LOUGEE, GISELLE KATIRIA · 2017 to 2021
$820k
American Cancer Society CSDG-23-1152971-01-CSCTHarvard Medical School Eleanor and Miles Shore Family Award PerezNCCIH NIH HHS T32AT000051NCI NIH HHS K07 CA211955NIH HHS K07CA211955
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeAdolescent and young adult cancer survivors (AYAs) have been considered a hard-to-reach population with low enrollment rates in cancer clinical trials. Race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and inaccessibility have been identified as barriers impacting research participation. Social media has the potential to overcome these barriers and increase AYA enrollment. This secondary analysis of a randomized controlled behavioral trial aims to (1) examine differences in participant characteristics and engagement as stratified by recruitment method and (2) offer considerations for using social media to recruit AYAs.

methodsSocial media and traditional recruitment methods were employed to recruit 72 post-treatment AYAs (ages 16-29) for a virtual synchronous group-based resiliency intervention (Bounce Back). Screening surveys assessed sociodemographic, medical, and psychosocial characteristics. Feasibility was assessed via attendance and follow-up survey completion. Post-intervention program acceptability and treatment satisfaction ratings were collected.

resultsA total of 61% of AYAs were recruited via social media; with 40% from Reddit, 18% from Facebook, and 3% from Twitter. Participants recruited via social media had greater sociodemographic and geographic diversity, completed cancer treatment more recently, and reported increased anxiety and prospective worry compared to participants recruited via traditional channels. No significant between-group differences in retention, engagement, acceptability, or treatment satisfaction ratings were detected. Challenges encountered included bots, malingerers, and scheduling considerations.

conclusionsRecruiting via social media platforms, especially Reddit, enhanced participant diversity and intervention accessibility. Researchers should identify recruitment methods that promote inclusivity while preserving safety and research integrity. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Social media recruitment was a successful and comparable recruitment strategy for engaging early post-treatment AYAs in a behavioral intervention trial.

Indexed as

Cancer SurvivorsClinical Trials as TopicNeoplasmsPatient SelectionSocial MediaAdolescentAdultFemaleHumansMaleYoung AdultAYACancer survivorshipPost-treatmentResearch recruitmentSocial media

Identifiers

PMID39636575

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.