Through WITS (Well-Informed, Thriving and Surviving), we are exploring the different factors that drive cancer patients and survivors to seek information. We also hope to determine if there is a connection between disparities in cancer survival rates and information-seeking habits.

The goals of the study are to:

• describe the information-seeking patterns of recently diagnosed cancer patients and cancer survivors.
• explore whether there are differences in information seeking patterns among cancer patients and survivors from different racial/ethnic and socioeconomic status backgrounds and how such differences may be related to disparities in cancer care and outcomes.
• describe people acting as surrogates to seek information on behalf of cancer patients and survivors, labeled Proxy Information Agents (PIAs).
• create a survey instrument to measure format and content preferences in cancer information materials.