Exploring types of conversational agents for resolving cancer patients’ questions and concerns: Analysis of 100 telephone consultations on breast cancer

•Human resources for resolving the lay topics (LTs) of cancer patients are limited.•This study explores the types of conversational agents to help patients resolve LTs.•Telephone conversations with cancer patients were analyzed.•Results suggest difficulty answering questions directly owing to LT differences.•Offering clue information for conversational agents by chatbots is more feasible.