What women often wrote about their fears was that breast cancer might cut short their time to enjoy family and be around for important milestones as their children grow older. It appeared that the closer a woman felt to her family or larger social network, the more she feared her potential separation from them as a result of breast cancer.

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Even though there are many women with breast cancer participating in online support groups, this is among the first research studies to demonstrate measurable benefits from participation in such groups.

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