Announcements

The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Survivors Network is conducting a survey of active CSN members to help us learn about the impact of online health communities. Members who have been active on the site recently will receive an email with a link to the survey, as well as a link to opt out of the survey. Your participation will help us to understand the benefits of using the Cancer Survivors Network and to improve the experiences of the thousands of people who visit this community.  

 If you agree to participate, you will be asked to fill out an online survey at three separate times over the next nine months. The questionnaire takes about 15 minutes to complete.  The email invitation will be sent on Monday, 3/18/2019. 

 This research is a partnership between ACS and investigators at Carnegie Mellon University and is funded by the US National Institutes of Health. 

 Thank you in advance for your participation.  

 American Cancer Society’s Cancer Survivors Network® (CSN) Survey Consent Form 

This is a study of the benefits of using CSN intended to inform efforts to improve the experiences of CSN members. This study is conducted by the American Cancer Society, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. 

 Procedures 

You will be asked to fill out an online questionnaire three times over the next nine months. The survey will ask about your use of CSN, your health, ways you cope with cancer, your social support, your mood and other topics. It takes about 15 minutes. To determine how using CSN influences health outcomes, the research team will compare participants' use of CSN with their answers on the survey. 

 Participant Requirements 

Participation in this study is limited to CSN members age 18 or older who are residents of the USA. 

 Risks 

The risks and discomfort associated with participation in this study are no greater than those in completing other online surveys. You are free to skip questions that make you feel uncomfortable. If you need cancer information or referral to local services, you can contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345, 24 hours a day and speak to a trained Cancer Information Specialist. 

 Benefits 

You will not receive direct benefit from participating in this study. The information you provide may help improve CSN and produce knowledge about the benefits of online health support groups. 

Compensation & Costs 

There is neither compensation nor cost to you if you participate. If you decide not to participate, this will not affect any services you receive from CSN. 

 Confidentiality 

All responses will be kept anonymous, and your information will be held in strictest confidence, as defined by the CSN terms of service. All study data are stored on a secure, password protected server and kept confidential to the extent possible by law. Personal identifiers (e.g., your name, email address, and IP address) will not be used in the study. Published findings, reports, presentations or other shared information will not contain information that can be linked to individual CSN members. 

 Right to Ask Questions & Contact Information 

If you have any questions about this study, you should feel free to contact one of the following. 

If you have questions about the ethics of this study, you should contact the Research Regulatory Compliance Office at Carnegie Mellon University. Email: IRB-REVIEW@ANDREW.CMU.EDU or Phone: 412-268-7166. 

 Consent 

 By completing the survey, you are agreeing to participate in this study. 

American Cancer Society, Inc. 
250 Williams St. 
Atlanta, GA 30303 
CANCER.ORG | 1.800.227.2345 

I am a health communication researcher requesting your help for a project to collect breast cancer patients’ and survivors’ stories of social support. Cancer Survivors Network is not sponsoring this research, but has reviewed my request and credentials and kindly allowed me to post my survey here.    

Study specifics: I am interested in the role of social support in helping people deal with major life events such as changes in health. Your experiences dealing with breast cancer are important and can teach people how to help others cope with illness and recovery. In order to participate, all you need to do is complete and submit the online survey (link is below this message).  It will take about 8-10 minutes, depending on the details you provide. I think you will appreciate the kinds of questions that are included. This is completely anonymous. No personal identification information is collected.  

Study consent: Your decision to be involved in this project is completely voluntary.  Even if you begin the survey you can change your mind by closing it out. Participating in this survey has no effect on your status in this online community. No one will know who participated.  I hope you agree to participate in this project! Your responses will help us understand how best to support those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.  If you have questions about the project, please feel free to contact me at the email address below.  If you plan to participate, and I hope you do, I would appreciate it if you could do so at your earliest convenience when you feel well enough, but no later than March 30.  Thank you!

PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK TO TAKE THE SURVEY (if link does not work, please copy and paste it into your browser URL): 

https://butler.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6XzteNhb3U2CBkF

The above research study announcement posted on Cancer Survivors Network is intended to be informational in nature. The American Cancer Society does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy of the information provided and will not oversee or otherwise be involved in the conduct of the actual research study.  We recommend that you consult with your health care provider if you have concerns about your health before participating in any research study.  Any information you obtain through CSN announcements should not be used as a substitute for consultation with your health care provider.

Free Upcoming CancerCare Connect^® Education Workshops

CancerCare workshops take place over the telephone or as a webcast online.

www.cancercare.org/connect

CancerCare, in collaboration with the American Cancer Society, offers free workshops on a variety of cancer-related topics. Unless otherwise noted, all workshops take place from 1:30 - 2:30 pm Eastern Time. For details and to register for a workshop, call 800-813-HOPE (4673), or visit the CancerCare website at www.cancercare.org/connect.

3/15 – Upcoming Trends in Renal Cell Cancer

3/18 – Advances in the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer

3/19 – Caregiving for Your Loved One with Cancer

3/20 – Triple Negative Breast Cancer and African American Women

3/21 – Update on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) from the 2018 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting

4/3 – Taking Your Pills on Schedule: Its Importance in Treating Cancer

4/8 – Joys and Challenges of Pets in Your Home When You Have Cancer

4/10 – Progress in the Treatment of Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia (WM)

4/15 – Managing Eye and Vision Changes Related to Cancer Treatments

4/23 – Treatment Update on Mantle Cell Lymphoma

4/24 – Update on Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

4/25 – Progress in the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma

5/15 – Managing the Side Effects of Immunotherapy, Part II of Immunotherapy: A Promising Approach to Treating Cancer

5/23 – Coping with the Stresses of Caregiving When Your Loved One Has Multiple Myeloma

5/24 – Living with Advanced Skin Cancer – Emerging Treatments for Metastatic Melanoma

Quit2Heal is a free innovative new research study of a smartphone app to help U.S. cancer patients quit smoking. Quitting smoking can be very difficult, and even more difficult with the added stress of a cancer diagnosis, but patients who quit smoking heal better and recover faster from treatment.  If you decide to join the Quit2Heal study, you will receive free access to the Quit2Heal app and up to $35 for completing a 2-month follow-up survey. To learn why other patients are joining Quit2Heal and to see if signing up for this ground-breaking resource could be right for you or someone you love, visit www.Quit2Heal.org

 The above research study announcement posted on Cancer Survivors Network is intended to be informational in nature. The American Cancer Society does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy of the information provided and will not oversee or otherwise be involved in the conduct of the actual research study.  We recommend that you consult with your health care provider if you have concerns about your health before participating in any research study.  Any information you obtain through CSN announcements should not be used as a substitute for consultation with your health care provider.