What do patients’ blogs tell us about their experiences of treatment for head and neck cancer?

Individuals who undergo treatment for head and neck cancer will often face a number of adverse physical and psychological outcomes. The treatments of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy frequently cause the patient to experience functional difficulties including problems with swallowing, breathing, eating, speaking and pain. As well as aversive outcomes from treatment, the process itself can be demanding, requiring frequent appointments and physical discomfort. National guidelines suggest that all patients should have access to psychological support throughout the treatment process. However, it is unclear how accessible this support is for many patients. Previous research has identified that patients would like more information prior to treatment, specifically with regard to coping mechanisms. This study aimed to enhance the literature around the experience of head and neck cancer treatment, in order to understand what kind of information could be given to patients before they start treatment. Data was retrieved from online blogs written by head and neck cancer patients, and was analysed using thematic analysis. This is the first study to utilise online resources of this kind in this area of cancer. Novel findings from this study suggest that some patients could use writing online blogs to improve support networks, gain meaning from their illness, and process their experiences. However, further research is required to ascertain the transferability of the benefits of writing within this patient group