#CHEMOTHERAPY: WHAT PEOPLE PUBLISH ON INSTAGRAM?

Abstract

In the current context of dissemination of the New Information and Communication Technologies (NICTs), people with cancer increasingly use social media to share their experiences and seek information about their disease and the treatments available. This article aims to analyze the captions of the photos posted with the hashtag chemotherapy on Instagram. To carry out this study, Grounded Theory was used as the methodological approach, as it was described by sociologist Kathy Charmaz. Data collection, which took place between the months of October and November 2016, was carried out using the lurking technique, i.e. when the observer does not interfere with what is happening. Publications that contained the term “#quimioterapia” in the caption were collected. The analysis of the posts was conducted according to the coding and categorization processes of Grounded Theory. The data obtained were described in the following categories: #SeToca, #OutubroRosa, #Quimioterapia, #IBelieve and #Cura. The first categories relate to breast cancer prevention campaigns, which usually take place in October, while the latter allude to the process of treating and curing the disease. The categories are also associated with the therapeutic itinerary of women with breast cancer. We found that most of the publications collected were made by people, usually women, who were undergoing or had already undergone chemotherapy. From the analysis carried out, it was possible to observe that digital social networks are an important space for patients with breast cancer, since they become a welcoming place, enabling the sharing of experiences and knowledge.