ABSTRACT

Purpose:

The present study evaluates the attitudes of Turkish women with breast cancer towards using the Internet for obtaining information concerning their disease.

Patients and Methods:

Seventy-two women with breast cancer who volunteered to participate in the study were asked to fi ll in the study questionnaires during the interviews on admission. The study questionnaires included eight questions regarding demographic characteristics and two questions regarding their attitude towards using the Internet for obtaining information concerning breast cancer.

Results:

Thirty-seven patients were aged between 45 and 65 years (52%), thirty-six patients were primary school graduates (50%), fi fty-three patients were unemployed (74%), fi fty patients lived in urban residences (69%), eleven patients were computer literates (15%), ten patients had access to the Internet (14%), fi fteen patients had made an attempt at obtaining information concerning breast cancer (21%) and three patients had made an attempt at using the Internet for obtaining information concerning breast cancer (4%).

Conclusion:

The present study discloses the unenthusiastic attitudes of Turkish women with breast cancer towards using the Internet for obtaining information concerning their disease.