title: Media mix for awareness and health promotion in lung cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lung cancer is the most common cause of death due to malignancy. The media as a source of information about cancer especially lung cancer could make substantial contribution to help physicians and patients in terms of prevention, treatment and follow up. This study aimed to obtain in depth understanding of the role of media in the context of clinical knowledge and recognize its effect on behavior of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using lung cancer patients' records admitted to Masih Daneshvari Hospital, we conducted a structured interview with them via telephone to collect information. The transcript of interviews was prepared. The transcript was then coded and analyzed using MaxQDA based on "theme method". Due to the structured basis of the study, the primary frameworks were considered as conceptual categories in coding.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of lung cancer patients did not receive any information before the awareness about their disease unless having a family with a history of cancer. Following awareness of disease, they mostly received their information from physicians. In spite of the large amount of medical information available in the media, insufficient use of media by cancer patients indicated the absence of appropriate communication between the media and patients. Television was the mass media commonly used by patients and as a result of no access to Internet and medical books as well as lack of proficiency in English language they were deprived of specialized resources of information.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mass media should focus on raising awareness about prevention and treatment of lung cancer. This study can be a preliminary step in health communication research and may be used by researchers in terms of methodology and vision.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Management, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Nasrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aminian
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Management, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Taher Roshandel
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Arbatani
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Management, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Datis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Khajeheian
authors.affiliation: Tracheal Diseases Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zangi
authors.affiliation: Tracheal Diseases Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Behgam
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Shadmehr
keywords: Awareness; Information; Lung Cancer; Media