Misguided Relief: Prevalence and Patterns of Symptom Management Misinformation for Breast Cancer on Instagram

A study analyzing 328 Instagram posts about breast cancer symptom management found that misinformation is highly prevalent, with 55.2% of posts being misleading and only 22.8% accurate. Many posts promoted non-evidence-based therapies, and commercial intent was noted in over half. Despite large followings, user engagement was low, and influencers, rather than healthcare professionals, created most content. The study highlights the risk of exposure to low-quality health information and calls for increased involvement from oncology professionals to promote accurate content on social media.