Social Media and the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Patient with Cancer

Abstract

Over 70,000 adolescent and young adults aged 15 to 39 years (AYA) are diagnosed with cancer each year in the US. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has identified AYA cancer patients as a unique population. The most common cancers in this age group include tumors typically seen in pediatric patients such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and brain tumors, as well as cancers more typically seen in adult patients such as breast cancer and melanoma. In addition, some cancers have their highest incidence in AYA patients, such as Hodgkin Lymphoma, testicular cancer and bone tumors. AYA patients face additional unique issues due to their age, not just questions about treatment choices due to lack of data, but also questions about fertility, relationships, loss of autonomy, and interruptions in school/work with potentially significant financial complications. This age group also has very high rates of social media usage with up to 90% of adults aged 18 to 29 using social networking sites. In this review, we will describe the use of social media in AYAs with cancer and highlight some of the online resources for AYAs.

Social Media: Support for Survivors and Young Adults With Cancer

“…These web-based diaries or journals (Boulos & Wheeler, 2007; Perales et al, 2016) provide a means to share one’s feelings through expressive writing (Keim-Malpass et al, 2013). A variety of platforms exist in the blogging world.…”

“…All of these options provide young adults living with cancer a means to communicate with their community and also process their experience. The nonprofit organization Stupid Cancer maintains a blogroll (i.e., a directory of blogs) written by young adult patients and survivors (Perales et al, 2016). …”

“…The social networking platforms Snapchat, Instagram, Flickr, Tumblr, and Twitter can be used to relay messages and/or images to either private or public communities. In these platforms, hashtags may be used to streamline content to a specific group (Perales et al, 2016). Some Twitter handles related to young adults with cancer include @ayacancer, @yacancer, @TeenageCancer, and @TeenCancerUSA.…”

“…In addition, healthcare agencies, such as the National Cancer Institute, have begun to develop their own social media presence on the Internet. These agency sites may be more accessible to young adults who prefer dynamic information and online social connections (Perales et al, 2016). They may also allow patients treated in the same location to connect with one another.…”

“…Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and blogs, allow people to connect with others and share information about their life, including health concerns. Each of these platforms are part of many young adults’ everyday lives (Love & Donovan, 2014; Perales, Drake, Pemmaraju, & Wood, 2016). For young adults with cancer, social media also offers a means to connect with new communities, particularly peers of the same age who know firsthand about living with cancer.…”