Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 11, 2025
Author Spotlight: Advancing Prostate Cancer Research Through Improved Tissue Sampling and Biobanking
Published on: November 17, 2023
Instagram and prostate cancer: using validated instruments to assess the quality of information on social media
Alex J Xu1, Akya Myrie2, Jacob I Taylor3
1Department of Urology and Population Health, New York University and Manhattan Veterans Affairs, New York, NY, USA. Alex.xu@nyulangone.org.
Background:
The quality of prostate cancer (PCa) content on Instagram is unknown.
Methods:
We examined 62 still-images and 64 video Instagram posts using #prostatecancer on 5/18/20. Results were assessed with validated tools.
Results:
Most content focused on raising awareness or sharing patient stories (46%); only 9% was created by physicians. 90% of content was low-to-moderate quality and most was understandable, but actionability was 0%. Of the 30% of content including objective information, 40% contained significant misinformation. Most posts had comments offering social support.
Conclusions:
Instagram is a source of understandable PCa content and social support; however, information was poorly actionable and had some misinformation.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:20Disorders of the Male Reproductive System
Prostate disorders are another major concern. These conditions can impair urinary flow due to the prostate's location around the urethra....
01:21Cancer Survival Analysis