Background:
Women living with incurable breast cancer have a range of unmet supportive care needs and are now turning to other modes of support due to feelings of isolation within the healthcare system. Social media platforms such as X (Twitter), afford women the opportunity for sharing their experiences of living with metastatic breast cancer, as well as providing a platform for mutual support.
Aims and Objectives:
The aim of this study was to identify the use of X (Twitter) as a source of support for unmet needs among women living with stage IV metastatic breast cancer, through qualitative analysis of personal online digital discourses related to health and illness experiences.
Design:
This qualitative study analysed the content of a cross-sectional sample of publicly available posts written by women living with stage IV metastatic breast cancer. The data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.
Results:
Data from the feeds of 20 women living with stage IV metastatic breast cancer were included in the analysis (over 90 pages). Four key themes were identified: ‘wondering, waiting and worrying”, ‘networks of support’, ‘treatment of the condition’ and ‘global platforms for development’. Each of the themes were described and illustrated by quotes from these women.
Conclusions:
There are clear supportive care gaps across the continuum for these women diagnosed with stage IV metastatic breast cancer and it is apparent that changes need to be implemented to improve education, support, and access to and cost of treatment for this population. Support networks, including social media networks, should form part of the clinical consultation discussion, to identify any unmet needs that could be investigated to improve outcomes. Future research should investigate these gaps to inform best practice guidelines for support needs for women living with stage IV metastatic breast cancer.