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Wu Q, Dai T, Song J, Liu X, Song S, Li L, Liu J, Pugazhendhi A, Jacob JA. Effects of herbal and mushroom formulations used in Traditional Chinese Medicine on in vitro human cancer cell lines at the preclinical level: An empirical review of the cell killing mechanisms. Process Biochem 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2020.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Shen HS, Wen SH. Effect of early use of Chinese herbal products on mortality rate in patients with lung cancer. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2018; 211:1-8. [PMID: 28942131 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2017.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Revised: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Patients with lung cancer are frequently treated with Western medical treatments. Recently, patients have begun to use Chinese medicine to strengthen the immune system and alleviate side effects. AIM OF THE STUDY We aimed to evaluate the association between mortality rate and early use of Chinese herbal products (CHPs) among patients with lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study based on the National Health Insurance Research Database, Taiwan Cancer Registry, and Cause of Death Data. Patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer between 2002 and 2010 were classified as either the CHP (n = 422) or the non-CHP group (n = 2828) based on whether they used CHP within 3 months after first diagnosis of lung cancer. A robust Cox regression model was used to examine the hazard ratio (HR) of death for propensity score (PS) matching samples. RESULTS After PS matching, average survival time of the CHP group was significantly longer than that of the non-CHP group. The adjusted HR (0.82; 95% CI: 0.73-0.92) in the CHP group was lower than the non-CHP group. Stratified by clinical cancer stages, CHP group had longer survival time in stage 3 subgroup. When the exposure period of CHP use was changed from 3 to 6 months, results remained similar (HR = 0.85; 95% CI: 0.76-0.95). CONCLUSION Results indicated that patients with lung cancer who used CHP within 3 months after first diagnosis had a lower hazard of death than non-CHP users, especially for stage 3 lung cancer. Further experimental studies are needed to examine the causal relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsuan-Shu Shen
- Department of Chinese Medicine, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan; School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Hui Wen
- Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
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Perspectives of Women Considering Bilateral Prophylactic Mastectomy and their Peers towards a Telephone-Based Peer Support Intervention. J Genet Couns 2017; 27:274-288. [PMID: 28916957 DOI: 10.1007/s10897-017-0148-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Prophylactic mastectomy is an effective strategy to reduce the risk of breast cancer for women carrying a BRCA1/2 germline mutation. This decision is complex and may raise various concerns. Women considering this surgery have reported their desire to discuss the implications of this procedure with women who have undergone prophylactic mastectomy. We conducted a qualitative study to describe the topics covered during a telephone-based peer support intervention between women considering prophylactic mastectomy (recipients) and women who had undergone this surgery (peers), and to explore their perspectives regarding the intervention. Thirteen dyads were formed and data from participant logbooks and evaluation questionnaires were analyzed using a thematic content analysis. Three main dimensions emerged: physical, psychological, and social. The most frequent topics discussed were: surgery (92%), recovery (77%), pain and physical comfort (69%), impacts on intimacy and sexuality (54%), cancer-related anxiety (54%), experience related to loss of breasts (46%). Peers and recipients report that sharing experiences and thoughts about prophylactic mastectomy and the sense of mutual support within the dyad contributed significantly to their satisfaction. Special attention should be paid to the similarities between personal and medical profiles in order to create harmonious matches.
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Tsai YT, Lai JN, Lo PC, Chen CN, Lin JG. Prescription of Chinese herbal products is associated with a decreased risk of invasive breast cancer. Medicine (Baltimore) 2017; 96:e7918. [PMID: 28858112 PMCID: PMC5585506 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000007918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The finding of a decrease in endometrial cancer incidence among breast cancer survivors following the use of Chinese herbal products (CHPs) has led to speculation that CHPs might play a role in breast cancer prevention.This study provides an overview of breast cancer incidence, comparing CHP users with those who do not use traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), referred to as non-TCM users. The results can provide information to clinicians for counseling women about the preventive use of TCM.A total of 184,386 women (20-79 years of age) were recruited from a nationwide 1-million-person representative sample of those covered by National Health Insurance in Taiwan and were followed from 1999 to 2012. A total of 1853 incidents of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed. The person-year approach with the Poisson assumption was used to estimate the incidence density rate. The age-specific hazard ratios of breast cancer in relation to either CHP or siwutang (SWT) use were calculated with multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression.More than 78% of patients had used a CHP at some point previously. The overall incidence density rate of breast cancer for non-TCM users was estimated at 1.73 per 10,000 patient-years. The corresponding values for CHP and SWT users were lower than those of the non-TCM group (CHP group = 0.85; SWT group = 0.63 per 10,000 patient-years). The covariate adjusted HRs for breast cancer were 0.57 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.50-0.65) and 0.36 (95% CI 0.28-0.46) in women using CHPs and SWT, respectively. The findings were confirmed using propensity score matching.Consumption of CHPs reduces the incidence of invasive breast cancer. Although the mechanism of action of these products is unclear, their use as a preventive agent for breast cancer is appropriate for many women at an increased risk of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueh-Ting Tsai
- Institute of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei
| | - Jung-Nien Lai
- School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University
- Departments of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital
| | - Pei-Chia Lo
- Institute of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei
| | - Chin-Nu Chen
- Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Jaung-Geng Lin
- School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University
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Krüppel-like factor 4 acts as a potential therapeutic target of Sijunzi decoction for treatment of colorectal cancer. Cancer Gene Ther 2017; 24:361-366. [PMID: 28752861 DOI: 10.1038/cgt.2017.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Revised: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Sijunzi decoction (SJZD) is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription for the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer. Our study is aimed to identify the potential therapeutic target of SJZD. Microarray analysis was performed on the patients with colorectal cancer under treatment of SJZD. The mRNA targets of SJZD were predicted by BATMAN-TCM database and were further identified by integrated analysis of expression data from TCGA. The correlation of gene expression and clinical characteristics was analyzed. Microarray analysis indicated that Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) was significantly upregulated after intervention of SJZD. BATMAN-TCM prediction showed that KLF4 was an mRNA target of SJZD and it was downregulated in colorectal cancer by integrated analysis of expression data from TCGA. KLF4 may act as an administered indicator to assess whether adjuvant postoperative pharmaceutical therapy is needed for patients with colorectal cancer. Low KLF4 expression was significantly correlated with reductions of overall survival and recurrence rate. Our results suggested that KLF4 may be the potential therapeutic target of SJZD for the treatment of colorectal cancer.
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Ng PY, Chye SM, Ng CH, Koh RY, Tiong YL, Pui LP, Tan YH, Lim CSY, Ng KY. Clinacanthus Nutans Hexane Extracts Induce Apoptosis Through a Caspase-Dependent Pathway in Human Cancer Cell Lines. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2017; 18:917-926. [PMID: 28545188 PMCID: PMC5494240 DOI: 10.22034/apjcp.2017.18.4.917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Clinacanthus nutans (C.nutans) is a plant consumed as a cancer treatment in tropical Asia. Despite the availability of numerous anecdotal reports, evaluation of active anticancer effects has remained elusive. Therefore we here examined antiproliferative, reactive oxygen species (ROS)-inducing and apoptosis mechanisms of whole plant extracts in different cancer cell lines. Methods: Antiproliferative actions of five solvent extracts (hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol and water) of C.nutans were tested on non-small cell lung cancer (A549), nasopharygeal cancer (CNE1) and liver cancer (HepG2) cells using MTT assay. The most potent anticancer extract was then assessed by flow cytometry to study cell cycle changes. Intracellular levels of ROS were quantified by DCFH-DA assay. Involvement of the caspase pathway in induction of apoptosis was assessed using caspase assay kits. GC-MS analysis was performed to identify phytoconstituents in the extracts. Results: Hexane and chloroform extracts were antiproliferative against all three cell lines, while the ethyl acetate extract, at 300 µg/mL, was antiproliferative in the CNE1 but not A549 and HepG2 cases. Methanol and water extracts did not inhibit cancer cell proliferation. The most potent anticancer hexane extract was selected for further testing. It induced apoptosis in all three cell lines as shown by an increase in the percentage of cell in sub-G1 phase. Dose-dependent increase in ROS levels in all three cell lines indicated apoptosis to be possibly modulated by oxidative stress. At high concentrations (>100 µg/mL), hexane extracts upregulated caspases 8, 9 and 3/7 across all three cell lines. GC-MS analysis of the hexane extract revealed abundance of 31 compounds. Conclusion: Among the five extracts of C.nutans, that with hexane extract demonstrated the highest antiproliferative activity against all three cancer cell lines tested. Action appeared to be via ion of intracellular ROS, and induction of apoptosis via intrinsic and extrinsic caspase pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Ying Ng
- School of Health Sciences, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.,School of Postgraduate Studies, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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Chen X, Ren B, Chen M, Liu MX, Ren W, Wang QX, Zhang LX, Yan GY. ASDCD: antifungal synergistic drug combination database. PLoS One 2014; 9:e86499. [PMID: 24475134 PMCID: PMC3901703 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2013] [Accepted: 12/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Finding effective drugs to treat fungal infections has important clinical significance based on high mortality rates, especially in an immunodeficient population. Traditional antifungal drugs with single targets have been reported to cause serious side effects and drug resistance. Nowadays, however, drug combinations, particularly with respect to synergistic interaction, have attracted the attention of researchers. In fact, synergistic drug combinations could simultaneously affect multiple subpopulations, targets, and diseases. Therefore, a strategy that employs synergistic antifungal drug combinations could eliminate the limitations noted above and offer the opportunity to explore this emerging bioactive chemical space. However, it is first necessary to build a powerful database in order to facilitate the analysis of drug combinations. To address this gap in our knowledge, we have built the first Antifungal Synergistic Drug Combination Database (ASDCD), including previously published synergistic antifungal drug combinations, chemical structures, targets, target-related signaling pathways, indications, and other pertinent data. Its current version includes 210 antifungal synergistic drug combinations and 1225 drug-target interactions, involving 105 individual drugs from more than 12,000 references. ASDCD is freely available at http://ASDCD.amss.ac.cn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Chen
- National Centre for Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China
- Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Biao Ren
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China
- South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Ming Chen
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Ming-Xi Liu
- Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Wei Ren
- Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Quan-Xin Wang
- School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, P.R. China
| | - Li-Xin Zhang
- South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China
- * E-mail: (LXZ); (GYY)
| | - Gui-Ying Yan
- National Centre for Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China
- Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China
- * E-mail: (LXZ); (GYY)
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Chung JE. Social networking in online support groups for health: how online social networking benefits patients. JOURNAL OF HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2014; 19:639-59. [PMID: 23557148 DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2012.757396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
An increasing number of online support groups (OSGs) have embraced the features of social networking. So far, little is known about how patients use and benefit from these features. By implementing the uses-and-gratifications framework, the author conducted an online survey with current users of OSGs to examine associations among motivation, use of specific features of OSG, and support outcomes. Findings suggest that OSG users make selective use of varied features depending on their needs, and that perceptions of receiving emotional and informational support are associated more with the use of some features than others. For example, those with strong motivation for social interaction use diverse features of OSG and make one-to-one connections with other users by friending. In contrast, those with strong motivation for information seeking limit their use primarily to discussion boards. Results also show that online social networking features, such as friending and sharing of personal stories on blogs, are helpful in satisfying the need for emotional support. The present study sheds light on online social networking features in the context of health-related OSGs and provides practical lessons on how to improve the capacity of OSGs to serve the needs of their users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Eun Chung
- a School of Communication Studies , Kent State University , Kent , Ohio , USA
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Lin W, Zheng L, Zhuang Q, Zhao J, Cao Z, Zeng J, Lin S, Xu W, Peng J. Spica prunellae promotes cancer cell apoptosis, inhibits cell proliferation and tumor angiogenesis in a mouse model of colorectal cancer via suppression of stat3 pathway. BMC COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2013; 13:144. [PMID: 23800091 PMCID: PMC3729539 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6882-13-144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2013] [Accepted: 06/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Background Constitutive activation of STAT3 is one of the major oncogenic pathways involved in the development of various types of malignancies including colorectal cancer (CRC); and thus becomes a promising therapeutic target. Spica Prunellae has long been used as an important component in many traditional Chinese medicine formulas to clinically treat CRC. Previously, we found that Spica Prunellae inhibits CRC cell growth through mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis. Furthermore, we demonstrated its anti-angiogenic activities in vivo and in vitro. To further elucidate the precise mechanism of the potential tumoricidal activity of Spica Prunellae, using a CRC mouse xenograft model, in this study we evaluated its therapeutic efficacy against CRC and investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods CRC mouse xenograft model was generated by subcutaneous injection of human colon carcinoma HT-29 cells into nude mice. Animals were given intra-gastric administration with 6 g/kg of the ethanol extract of Spica Prunellae (EESP) daily, 5 days a week for 16 days. Body weight and tumor growth were measured every two days. Tumor growth in vivo was determined by measuring the tumor volume and weight. HT-29 cell viability was examined by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis and proliferation in tumors from CRC xenograft mice was evaluated via immunohistochemical staining (IHS) for TUNEL and PCNA, and the intratumoral microvessel density (MVD) was examined by using IHS for the endothelial cell-specific marker CD31. The activation of STAT3 was evaluated by determining its phosphorylation level using IHS. The mRNA and protein expression of Bcl-2, Bax, Cyclin D1, VEGF-A and VEGFR2 was measured by RT-PCR and IHS, respectively. Results EESP treatment reduced tumor volume and tumor weight but had no effect on body weight change in CRC mice; decreased HT-29 cell viability in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting that EESP displays therapeutic efficacy against colon cancer growth in vivo and in vitro, without apparent toxicity. In addition, EESP significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT3 in tumor tissues, indicating its suppressive action on the activation of STAT3 signaling. Consequently, the inhibitory effect of EESP on STAT3 activation resulted in an increase in the pro-apoptotic Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, decrease in the expression of the pro-proliferative Cyclin D1 and CDK4, as well as down-regulation of pro-angiogenic VEGF-A and VEGFR-2 expression. Finally, these molecular effects led to the induction of apoptosis, the inhibition of cell proliferation and tumor angiogenesis. Conclusions Spica Prunellae possesses a broad range of anti-cancer activities due to its ability to affect STAT3 pathway, suggesting that Spica Prunellae could be a novel potent therapeutic agent for the treatment of CRC.
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Furth PA. Cancer prevention as biomodulation: targeting the initiating stimulus and secondary adaptations. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2013; 1271:1-9. [PMID: 23050958 PMCID: PMC3471382 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2012.06736.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
In a medical sense, biomodulation could be considered a biochemical or cellular response to a disease or therapeutic stimulus. In cancer pathophysiology, the initial oncogenic stimulus leads to cellular and biochemical changes that allow cells, tissue, and organism to accommodate and accept the oncogenic insult. In epithelial cell cancer development, the process of carcinogenesis is frequently characterized by sequential cellular and biochemical adaptations as cells transition through hyperplasia, dysplasia, atypical dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, and invasive cancer. In some cases, the adaptations may persist after the initial oncogenic stimulus is gone in a type of “hit-and-run” oncogenesis. These pathophysiological changes may interfere with cancer prevention therapies targeted solely to the initial oncogenic insult, perhaps contributing to resistance development. Characterization of these accommodating adaptations could provide insight for the development of cancer preventive regimens that might more effectively biomodulate preneoplastic cells toward a more normal state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscilla A Furth
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
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Herbal products: benefits, limits, and applications in chronic liver disease. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2012; 2012:837939. [PMID: 22991573 PMCID: PMC3443820 DOI: 10.1155/2012/837939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2012] [Accepted: 07/30/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Complementary and alternative medicine soughts and encompasses a wide range of approaches; its use begun in ancient China at the time of Xia dynasty and in India during the Vedic period, but thanks to its long-lasting curative effect, easy availability, natural way of healing, and poor side-effects it is gaining importance throughout the world in clinical practice. We conducted a review describing the effects and the limits of using herbal products in chronic liver disease, focusing our attention on those most known, such as quercetin or curcumin. We tried to describe their pharmacokinetics, biological properties, and their beneficial effects (as antioxidant role) in metabolic, alcoholic, and viral hepatitis (considering that oxidative stress is the common pathway of chronic liver diseases of different etiology). The main limit of applicability of CAM comes from the lacking of randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials giving a real proof of efficacy of those products, so that anecdotal success and personal experience are frequently the driving force for acceptance of CAM in the population.
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Grossman M, Agulnik J, Batist G. The Peter Brojde lung cancer centre: a model of integrative practice. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 19:e145-59. [PMID: 22670104 DOI: 10.3747/co.19.929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The generally poor prognosis and poor quality of life for lung cancer patients have highlighted the need for a conceptual model of integrative practice. Although the philosophy of integrative oncology is well described, conceptual models that could guide the implementation and scientific evaluation of integrative practice are lacking. PURPOSE The present paper describes a conceptual model of integrative practice in which the philosophical underpinnings derive mainly from integrative oncology, with important contributions from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the discipline of nursing. The conceptual model is described in terms of its purpose, values, concepts, dynamic components, scientific evidence, clinical approach, and theoretical underpinnings. The model argues that these components delineate the initial scope and orientation of integrative practice. They serve as the needed context for evaluating and interpreting the effectiveness of clinical interventions in enhancing patient outcomes in lung cancer at various phases of the illness. Furthermore, the development of relevant and effective integrative clinical interventions requires new research methods based on whole-systems research. An initial focus would be the identification of interrelationship patterns among variables that influence clinical interventions and their targeted patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Grossman
- McGill School of Nursing, McGill University, Montreal, QC.
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De la Torre-Díez I, Díaz-Pernas FJ, Antón-Rodríguez M. A content analysis of chronic diseases social groups on Facebook and Twitter. Telemed J E Health 2012; 18:404-8. [PMID: 22650380 DOI: 10.1089/tmj.2011.0227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on the use of social networks for health-related purposes is limited. This study aims to characterize the purpose and use of Facebook and Twitter groups concerning colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and diabetes. We searched in Facebook ( www.facebook.com ) and Twitter ( www.twitter.com ) using the terms "colorectal cancer," "breast cancer," and "diabetes." Each important group has been analyzed by extracting its network name, number of members, interests, and Web site URL. We found 216 breast cancer groups, 171 colorectal cancer groups, and 527 diabetes groups on Facebook and Twitter. The largest percentage of the colorectal cancer groups (25.58%) addresses prevention, similarly to breast cancer, whereas diabetes groups are mainly focused on research issues (25.09%). There are more social groups about breast cancer and diabetes on Facebook (around 82%) than on Twitter (around 18%). Regarding colorectal cancer, the difference is less: Facebook had 62.23%, and Twitter 31.76%. Social networks are a useful tool for supporting patients suffering from these three diseases. Regarding the use of these social networks for disease support purposes, Facebook shows a higher usage rate than Twitter, perhaps because Twitter is newer than Facebook, and its use is not so generalized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel De la Torre-Díez
- Department of Signal Theory and Communications and Telematics Engineering, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain.
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