Social Network Experience
Social network experience as a facilitator of
cancer screening. Some patients regarded their
friends or family as a source of encouragement to
undergo cancer screening. The concepts grouped
under this category included advice from family
members (spouse, children or siblings), advice from
friends, family history of cancer, knowing someone
with cancer or other related health-promotion programs
in the popular media. Another source of
encouragement that was found to be even more
important than advice from family and friends was
medical advice from healthcare professionals, such
as doctors, nurses or medical assistants.
Regarding the influence of friends, one patient
said: "Well, I was talking to a friend, and she told me
since I was 40 I should start getting one, and ever
since then, I've gotten a yearly mammogram."
Regarding a family history of cancer, another patient
said, "My mom had cancer of the breast and as an
obligation, I have to have the mammogram done
every year." A majority of patients were encouraged
to undergo cancer screening if their physician recommended
it to them. One patient said, "I always