Interventions Using Social Media for Cancer Prevention and Management: A Systematic Review.

Six studies had fewer than 100 participants, and half of the studies did not examine statistical significance. Interventions were heterogeneous, and the review could not combine results in a meta-analysis. Most outcome measures were qualitative interviews or self-reported data, and clinically meaningful quantitative outcomes were lacking. The review included only English studies, and publication bias may have favored positive social media findings. Participants were mainly White female and from Western countries, so the findings may not generalize. No study assessed pain, fatigue or sleep deprivation, and some lifestyle studies did not measure diet change or body weight. Some studies did not report participant demographics, and only three studies had expert consultation or supervision of social media content. The overall quality score was 17.0 ± 4.0, range 13 to 23 of 27, but confounding scores were low.

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.

Do not read these findings as proof that social media improves cancer outcomes. Many studies were small or non-randomised, and quality-of-life, depression and anxiety effects were inconsistent or absent compared with controls.