Nancy M. Cappello, PhD, director and founder of Are You Dense and Are You Dense Advocacy, wrote a new post for The Huffington Post about the role social media has played in her own life and the role it plays in the lives of women from all over the world. She said the internet and social media have “transformed our lives,” opening “a global connection to those with similar interests and passions.”

For women affected by breast cancer, Cappello said, social media has been especially helpful in building a sense of community and easing the concerns of anyone who may feel confused, frightened or hopeless.

“Social media have brought together a community of breast health advocates, breast cancer survivors, and health care providers, to communicate about the many aspects of breast cancer such as prevention, risks, screening, treatments, and promising research for a cure,” she wrote. “Open 24 hours, within seconds of breast cancer survivors’ posts about side effects from treatment, decisions about surgery and their most intimate anxieties and fears, the cheer-leading team of survivors, caregivers, and health care providers intervene.”

Click below for the full text of Cappello’s post.