ALEXANDRIA, Va. – As an increasing number of patients look to the internet for cancer information, researchers from the University of Alabama found that the websites of many National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers lack sufficient information to help patients with breast cancer understand all their treatment options and make well-informed decisions. It also found they are not fully accessible to Spanish-speaking patients and those using mobile devices. In contrast, websites of the NCI and the Susan G. Komen® had high-quality patient information. Researchers will present their findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) upcoming Quality Care Symposium, taking place March 3-4, in Orlando, Florida.

“In the past five years, we’ve seen an explosion of cancer-related information on the internet,” said lead author Caleb Dulaney, MD, a radiation oncology resident at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “As a result, patients have more choices than ever before when it comes to where they get their breast cancer information. Our study found that it is challenging to find information at cancer center websites that will truly help patients stay informed about treatments. There is good information out there, and as physicians we can direct our patients to comprehensive resources that will help inform a patient’s care goals.”

Researchers evaluated breast cancer information on 65 different cancer websites: the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Susan G. Komen, and 63 NCI-designated cancer centers. While they found it easy to locate the webpage that included information about breast cancer (median of two clicks to access the page), the majority of websites did not contain adequate information about treatment and care decisions.
The authors measured content quality using 33 questions from three validated Breast Cancer Decision Quality Instruments (DQI). Such instruments are designed to assess quality of information and the extent to which patients are informed about all treatment options. For example, researchers evaluated the quality of information regarding mastectomy versus radiation and lumpectomy, as well as information about side effects of chemotherapy.

On average, major cancer center websites addressed only 21% (seven out of the 33) of the questions. Approximately 10 websites did not address any of the DQI questions, and no site addressed all of the questions. On the other hand, researchers found that the websites of the NCI and the Susan G. Komen Foundation covered higher proportions of questions than cancer center sites—85% and 88%, respectively.

In addition to information quality, Dr. Dulaney and colleagues also examined information accessibility. Only 59% of websites were mobile friendly, and just one-quarter offered a Spanish translation capability. Authors encourage cancer centers to make Spanish information available, as breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Hispanic/Latina women.

“Our findings demonstrate an opportunity for physicians to be involved with website content planning at their cancer centers so that patients with breast cancer have access to information that describes the full scope of treatment and care, along with outcomes information,” Dr. Dulaney said.

2017 Quality Care Symposium News Planning Team

Don S. Dizon, MD (Chair), Massachusetts General Hospital
Timothy D. Gilligan, MD, MSc, Cleveland Clinic
Joshua Adam Jones, MD, MA, University of Pennsylvania Health System

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