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Online diary 'beneficial' for women with breast cancer
August 15, 2013
An online chronicle of experiences during treatment for breast cancer can be beneficial for patients.
Breast cancer patients may benefit from keeping an online diary of their experiences, a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology has found.
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles discovered that women who chronicled their day-to-day lives on a personal website were less likely to develop depression and tended to have a greater appreciation for life.
The researchers recruited 88 breast cancer patients, aged 28 to 76, half of whom created a personal website after attending a three-hour workshop.
After six months, they found that many of the women who maintained a personal online diary valued the opportunity to share their experiences of cancer.
The benefits were particularly noticeable in women with advanced disease, who often felt more motivated to tell their stories and seek support from others.
Lead researcher Dr Annette Stanton, professor of psychology, psychiatry and biobehavioural sciences at the university's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Centre, said that expressing emotions "can be helpful for people diagnosed with cancer".
She added: "We are encouraged by these positive findings, especially for cancer survivors with the most need - those in active medical treatment or with more advanced disease."
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