A Cancer Patient's Candid Story Revealed on SNS... The Keyword for the Chemotherapy Journey is "Hope"

'5th Anti-Cancer Treatment Day' Commemoration
Social Listening Analysis Results Released

Emotional Distress as Significant as Physical Pain
But Only 9% Mention Internal Management for Relief
Information Acquired via SNS or Other Patients

Announcement of '6 Things Wise Cancer Patients Should Remember'
Emphasizing Mental Health and Medical Treatment

Ahn Jung-bae, Chairman of the Korean Society of Medical Oncology (Professor of Oncology at Yonsei Cancer Hospital), is delivering a greeting at the "5th Anti-Cancer Treatment Day Press Conference" on the 23rd.
Photo by Lee Kwan-joo

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] Despite cancer patients experiencing significant 'emotional difficulties' such as worry, anxiety, and fear during their treatment process, the rate of managing these issues is very low. Experts point out that to address this, government and societal-level emotional and psychological support policies are necessary.

The Korean Society of Medical Oncology and the Korean Association for Cancer Chemotherapy held a press conference on the afternoon of the 23rd to mark the '5th Anti-Cancer Treatment Day' and disclosed the results of an anti-cancer social listening data analysis.

Few Mentions of 'Internal Management' Despite Emotional Difficulties

Social listening is a technique that analyzes data mentioned on the internet and social networking services (SNS), known to be useful for understanding the true feelings of patients and caregivers. This analysis collected and analyzed 169,575 mentions over the past year on SNS platforms such as Naver blogs, cafes, Knowledge iN, Daum cafes, and YouTube comments using three keywords: cancer, chemotherapy, and patient management.

First, analyzing 20,899 mentions of difficulties cancer patients face after diagnosis and during treatment revealed that 'emotional difficulties' accounted for 42%, which was not significantly different from 'physical/disease-related difficulties' at 52%. Emotional difficulties appeared in different forms from the early stages throughout the treatment process, with painful emotions such as fear and anxiety consistently mentioned. Even in the post-treatment recovery phase, concerns about recurrence and fear of death in case of worsening conditions were prominently mentioned.

In contrast, among 16,743 mentions related to patient management, only 9% referred to 'internal management' to alleviate emotional difficulties. Particularly, the rate of actively managing emotional difficulties through professional help such as psychiatric counseling or antidepressant medication was very low. Professor Lim Joo-han of the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Inha University Hospital explained, "We are very aware of the emotional difficulties faced by patients at the brink of life and death in clinical settings, and this is an area that requires continued careful attention. Since patients' mental health also affects actual treatment outcomes, it is necessary to emphasize a multidisciplinary approach including collaboration with psychiatry in clinical practice."

Professor Lim Juhan of the Department of Oncology at Inha University Hospital is presenting the results of an analysis of chemotherapy social listening data.
Photo by Lee Gwanju

Information Acquisition Mainly Through Other Patients and Online

Analyzing 1,661 mentions regarding cancer patients' channels for acquiring cancer-related information showed that experts and doctors accounted for 44%, patients 24%, online communities 18%, and YouTube 14%. Since patients obtain cancer information through online sources and other patients almost as much as from experts or doctors, it highlights the need to strengthen communication between patients and medical staff and improve accessibility to official cancer information sites such as the 'National Cancer Information Center.'

The top three most mentioned cancer types in this analysis were breast cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancer, which differed somewhat from the actual domestic incidence ranking (thyroid cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer). Lung cancer appears to attract high interest due to its highest mortality rate among cancer types, while colorectal and breast cancers are more prevalent among younger populations recently, which is likely reflected in the social listening data.

Regarding clinical trials of anticancer drugs, they were viewed positively as alternative options when existing treatments fail, in terms of treatment effectiveness and cost burden, but concerns about safety were also noted. Additionally, most mentions about treatment accessibility focused on the fact that many targeted anticancer drugs and immunotherapies are not covered by insurance.

Analysis of daily life management for cancer patients was also shared. Many patients discussed and shared maintaining physical strength during chemotherapy through healthy food, supplements, and light exercise. Mentions also included managing external changes caused by chemotherapy such as wigs and eyebrow tattoos, as well as internal management through psychiatric treatment, psychological therapy, meditation, and communication with fellow patients.

Six Things Wise Cancer Patients Should Remember

Based on these social listening analysis results, the press conference announced 'Answers from Cancer Experts: Six Things Wise Cancer Patients Should Remember.' Specifically, these are ▲ Discuss treatment methods suitable for yourself with specialists ▲ Take care of your mental health ▲ Actively talk about side effects ▲ Maintain a happy and healthy daily life ▲ Prioritize medically proven treatments ▲ The keyword for the anticancer treatment journey is ‘hope.’

6 Things Wise Cancer Patients Should Remember. [Source=Korean Society of Medical Oncology · Korean Society of Chemotherapy]

Professor Kim In-ho of the Department of Oncology at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital said, "Some of the information cancer patients know about the anticancer treatment environment is accurate, while some are not, so it is very important to actively consult with the attending physician about every step of the anticancer treatment process. In the clinic, we often receive questions about what foods to eat and what exercises to do, and I hope patients consider their attending physician as a partner in anticancer treatment with whom they can freely discuss even these small details."

Professor Kim added, "The reality is that institutional measures to alleviate cancer patients' emotional difficulties are insufficient. Since it is practically difficult to resolve this solely in clinical settings, it is necessary for the government and society to establish emotional management and psychological care support policies targeting cancer patients."

The Korean Society of Medical Oncology and the Korean Association for Cancer Chemotherapy designate the fourth Wednesday of November each year as 'Anti-Cancer Treatment Day' and strive to promote correct understanding of anticancer treatment and the best treatment methods tailored to patients. Ahn Jung-bae, chairman of the Korean Society of Medical Oncology and professor of oncology at Yonsei Cancer Center, said, "Through social listening, we could glimpse actual patients' perceptions and concerns about anticancer treatment that were difficult to confirm through previous surveys, which was meaningful. We will continue to provide helpful anticancer information to patients during their treatment journey in addition to ongoing cancer treatment and research."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.