Each year, over 226,870 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and 39,510 will die. The five year survival rate for localized cancer is 99%, however this decreases to 84% for regional sites such as the lungs or the abdomen, and 23% for distant sites such as the brain¹. The most common treatments include chemotherapy, radiation, lumpectomy and/or mastectomy. Starting with diagnosis, and continuing through treatment and into survivorship, women have information and support needs related to all aspects of the management of their disease. The Breast Cancer Internet and Support Study (BCIIS, N = 429) was a needs assessment of the characteristics of women who were diagnosed with breast cancer and used the Internet. During this time, the women were asked to provide narrative comments related to any aspect of their diagnosis that they would like to discuss. A free form text box of 1000 characters was provided on the BCIIS survey. The contents of the comments were analyzed and a total of nine themes were identified: support, connection and community, trust, interaction with providers, difficult experiences, empowerment, informational competence, attitude and quality of life. The results of this study will enable better understanding of the experiences of women with breast cancer, and help to develop online programming that is based on womens’ needs and preferences.

1. Siegel, R., Naishadham, D. & Jemal, A. (2012). Cancer statistics, 2012. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 62, 10-29.