scholarly journals Breast Cancer Awareness Month: The Impact of Even the Most Successful Campaigns Fades

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédéric Lapostolle ◽  
Lisa Weisslinger ◽  
Charles Durand ◽  
Frédéric Adnet

Abstract BackgroundFor over 35 years the ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Month’ (BCAM) has worked to increase public information about breast cancer and to raise funds for research. The aim of this study was to analyze how the interest generated by this campaign evolved over time, in the US and other countries.MethodsWe investigated the Google Trends® according to previously recommended methods. The study was based on Internet searches using the term ‘’breast cancer’’ worldwide and in the United-States. Google Trends® gives the relative search volume of every request as an index on a scale from 0 to 100, (100 corresponding to the maximum number of requests during the studied period). We compared the relative searches index using the term ‘’breast cancer’’ during October, the breast cancer awareness month, and the rest of the of the year avec a 10 years period.Results120 months were analyzed including 10 October months. Median index for worldwide searches on ‘’breast cancer’’ during the 110 months was 35 (34-39). It didn’t significantly change during the study period (R2=0,3). Median index of the 10 peaks was 83 (64-92) (p<0,001 vs 110 months). The peak index linearly decreased (R2=0,88) during the study period. It reached 100 in 2012 and 64 in 2020. In the United-States, median index for searches during the 110 months was 28 (26-32). It didn’t significantly change during the study period (R2=0,3). Median index of the 10 peaks was 83 (63-92) (p<0,001 vs 110 months). The peak index linearly decreased (R2=0,73) during the study period. It reached 100 in 2012 and 64 in 2020.ConclusionsThis internet activity study shows that the impact of the ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Month’ seems to be slowly decreasing. The number of Internet searches generated by the campaign has been reduced by almost 40% in both the United-States and worldwide.

10.2196/25651 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. e25651
Author(s):  
Solene Huynh Dagher ◽  
Guillaume Lamé ◽  
Thomas Hubiche ◽  
Khaled Ezzedine ◽  
Tu Anh Duong

Background During COVID-19, studies have reported the appearance of internet searches for disease symptoms before their validation by the World Health Organization. This suggested that monitoring of these searches with tools including Google Trends may help monitor the pandemic itself. In Europe and North America, dermatologists reported an unexpected outbreak of cutaneous acral lesions (eg, chilblain-like lesions) in April 2020. However, external factors such as public communications may also hinder the use of Google Trends as an infodemiology tool. Objective The study aimed to assess the impact of media announcements and lockdown enforcement on internet searches related to cutaneous acral lesions during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. Methods Two searches on Google Trends, including daily relative search volumes for (1) “toe” or “chilblains” and (2) “coronavirus,” were performed from January 1 to May 16, 2020, with the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, and Germany as the countries of choice. The ratio of interest over time in “chilblains” and “coronavirus” was plotted. To assess the impact of lockdown enforcement and media coverage on these internet searches, we performed an interrupted time-series analysis for each country. Results The ratio of interest over time in “chilblains” to “coronavirus” showed a constant upward trend. In France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, lockdown enforcement was associated with a significant slope change for “chilblain” searches with a variation coefficient of 1.06 (SE 0.42) (P=0.01), 1.04 (SE 0.28) (P<.01), and 1.21 (SE 0.44) (P=0.01), respectively. After media announcements, these ratios significantly increased in France, Spain, Italy, and the United States with variation coefficients of 18.95 (SE 5.77) (P=.001), 31.31 (SE 6.31) (P<.001), 14.57 (SE 6.33) (P=.02), and 11.24 (SE 4.93) (P=.02), respectively, followed by a significant downward trend in France (–1.82 [SE 0.45]), Spain (–1.10 [SE 0.38]), and Italy (–0.93 [SE 0.33]) (P<.001, P=0.004, and P<.001, respectively). The adjusted R2 values were 0.311, 0.351, 0.325, and 0.305 for France, Spain, Italy, and the United States, respectively, suggesting an average correlation between time and the search volume; however, this correlation was weak for Germany and the United Kingdom. Conclusions To date, the association between chilblain-like lesions and COVID-19 remains controversial; however, our results indicate that Google queries of “chilblain” were highly influenced by media coverage and government policies, indicating that caution should be exercised when using Google Trends as a monitoring tool for emerging diseases.


Author(s):  
Belén Mora Garijo ◽  
Jonathan E. Katz ◽  
Aubrey Greer ◽  
Mia Gonzalgo ◽  
Alejandro García López ◽  
...  

AbstractSeveral diseases associated with erectile dysfunction (ED), such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and coronary artery disease (CAD), are known to have seasonal variation, with increased incidence during winter months. However, no literature exists on whether this chronological-seasonal evolution is also present within ED symptomatology. We hypothesized ED would follow the seasonal pattern of its lifestyle-influenced comorbid conditions and exhibit increased incidence during winter months. In order to investigate the seasonal variation of ED in the United States between 2009 and 2019, Internet search query data were obtained using Google Trends. Normalized search volume was determined during the winter and summer seasons for ED, other diseases known to be significantly associated with ED (T2DM and CAD), kidney stones (positive control), and prostate cancer (negative control). There were significantly more internet search queries for ED during the winter than during the summer (p = 0.001). CAD and T2DM also had significantly increased search volume during winter months compared to summer months (p < 0.001 and p = 0.011, respectively). By contrast, searches for kidney stones were significantly increased in the summer than in the winter (p < 0.001). There was no significant seasonal variation in the relative search frequency for prostate cancer (p = 0.75). In conclusion, Google Trends internet search data across a ten-year period in the United States suggested a seasonal variation in ED, which implies an increase in ED during winter. This novel finding in ED epidemiology may help increase awareness of ED’s associated lifestyle risk factors, which may facilitate early medical evaluation and treatment for those at risk of both ED and cardiovascular disease.


2006 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter A. Fasching ◽  
Gunter von Minckwitz ◽  
Thorsten Fischer ◽  
Manfred Kaufmann ◽  
Beate Schultz-Zehden ◽  
...  

2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (7) ◽  
pp. 766-769 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Salotto ◽  
Jack Sariego

Studies have suggested that outcomes from breast cancer are improved when treatment is rendered at high-volume teaching centers. The current study was undertaken to examine the impact of facility type on the presentation and treatment of “early” breast carcinoma across the United States. Breast cancer data were available from the American College of Surgeons National Cancer Database. The cohort consisted of 305,358 patients presenting with in situ cancers and no prior treatment from 2000 to 2008. Data were stratified by type of treatment facility, “invasive” versus “noninvasive” nature of the tumor, and treatment performed. Only 15 per cent of patients presented to community cancer centers (CCCs). Despite this, a greater percentage presented with invasive disease at CCCs (82.1%) compared with comprehensive community cancer centers (CCCCs; 80%) or teaching/research facilities (T/Rs; 70.2%). In examining the in situ cohort, a higher percentage of patients at CCCs were treated with breast conservation than at CCCCs or T/Rs. Although small, these differences were statistically significant. These data do not support the contention that only “early” cases of breast cancer present and are treated at community centers. In early breast cancer, patients are as likely to receive state-of-the-art treatment at a CCC as they are at a T/R.


Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 2419
Author(s):  
Lina Jansen ◽  
Bernd Holleczek ◽  
Klaus Kraywinkel ◽  
Janick Weberpals ◽  
Chloé Charlotte Schröder ◽  
...  

Background: Breast cancer treatment has changed tremendously over the last decades. In addition, the use of mammography screening for early detection has increased strongly. To evaluate the impact of these developments, long-term trends in incidence, mortality, stage distribution and survival were investigated for Germany and the United States (US). Methods: Using population-based cancer registry data, long-term incidence and mortality trends (1975–2015), shifts in stage distributions (1998–2015), and trends in five-year relative survival (1979–2015) were estimated. Additionally, trends in five-year relative survival after standardization for stage were explored (2004–2015). Results: Age-standardized breast cancer incidence rates were much higher in the US than in Germany in all periods, whereas age-standardized mortality began to lower in the US from the 1990s on. The largest and increasing differences were observed for patients aged 70+ years with a 19% lower incidence but 45% higher mortality in Germany in 2015. For this age group, large differences in stage distributions were observed, with 29% (Germany) compared to 15% (US) stage III and IV patients. Age-standardized five-year relative survival increased strongly between 1979–1983 and 2013–2015 in Germany (+17% units) and the US (+19% units) but was 9% units lower in German patients aged 70+ years in 2013–2015. This difference was entirely explained by differences in stage distributions. Conclusions: Overall, our results are in line with a later uptake and less extensive utilization of mammography screening in Germany. Further studies and efforts are highly needed to further explore and overcome the increased breast cancer mortality among elderly women in Germany.


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