Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore how cancer survivors in Japan perceive the risks and benefits associated with use of the Internet as a health information and communication resource, and to investigate cancer survivors’ need for Internet access in hospital settings and the contents of hospital homepages. An Internet survey was conducted with the members of a mailing list for breast cancer survivors (N=817). Of them, 148 responded. The participants were asked about their initial expectation of and actual experiences of the use of the Internet as an information and support resource. The majority answered that they used the Internet to get information on the disease and treatment options, to get information about other survivors’ experiences, and to reduce anxiety related to having cancer and undergoing treatments. When asked about the disadvantages of using the Internet in an open ended question, some of the respondents stated problems such as confusion/stress associated with receiving too much information, and misunderstanding and conflicts in using e-mails and the mailing list due to the lack of non-verbal communications. Regarding the contents of hospital homepages, information on the availability of specific diagnostic testing and treatment options at the hospital, and the clinical performance of the hospital such as the number of operations conducted to date were raised as topics with the highest priority. Although the respondents were aware of some risks associated with the use of the Internet, they highly appreciated the overall usefulness of the Internet as a health information and communication tool.
