Fear and Medical Misinformation Regarding Risk of Progression or Recurrence Among Patients with Breast Cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Public Health
• Health Communication

Background:

• Misinformation regarding cancer treatments is prevalent and its impact on patient outcomes remains unclear.
• Understanding the relationship between misinformation exposure, fear of cancer recurrence, and treatment adherence is crucial for effective patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the prevalence of exposure to cancer treatment misinformation among breast cancer survivors.
• To determine the association between misinformation exposure and fear of cancer recurrence.
• To evaluate the link between misinformation exposure and adherence to evidence-based cancer treatments.

Main Methods:

• A patient-facing online survey was conducted from July to August 2023, involving 997 adult US residents with a history of breast cancer within the past 10 years.
• The survey assessed exposure to non-evidence-based information concerning cancer progression or recurrence and measured fear of cancer recurrence using the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory-Short Form.
• Statistical analyses, including chi-squared tests, were employed to examine the associations between misinformation exposure, fear of recurrence, and treatment adherence.

Main Results:

• A significant majority of participants (76%) reported encountering misinformation about breast cancer.
• Exposure to misinformation was not statistically associated with clinically significant fear of cancer recurrence (38% vs. 35%) or treatment nonadherence (23% vs. 26%).
• Hispanic patients showed higher odds of misinformation exposure in initial analyses, but this did not persist after adjusting for other factors.

Conclusions:

• Medical misinformation is widespread among breast cancer patients, highlighting the need for improved communication strategies during survivorship care.
• Despite its prevalence, misinformation exposure was not found to be associated with increased fear of recurrence or decreased treatment adherence in this cohort.
• Further research is essential to understand how patients interpret medical misinformation, particularly within high-risk populations.