Does the Cancer Patient Want to Know? Results from a Study in an Indian Tertiary Cancer Center

Overview

Journal South Asian J Cancer

Specialty Oncology

Date 2014 Jan 24

PMID 24455553

Citations 20

Authors

Shekhawat Laxmi

Joad Anjum Khan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: The disclosure of the diagnosis of cancer is a distressing and complex issue. Families and doctors still do not tell patients when they have cancer in the belief that the patient does not want to know and telling him would lead to fear and depression. The aim of this survey was to evaluate the information needs of Indian cancer patients.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 300 patients' views was conducted with the help of an adaptation of Cassileth's Information Needs questionnaire.

Results: A majority of cancer patients exhibited a strong need for information about illness and treatment. Ninety-four percent wanted to know if their illness was cancer. Most patients also wanted to know the chance of cure (92%). Age, education, and type of treatment significantly affect information preferences. Gender did not have an effect on information needs.

Conclusion: This study showed that most of the patients wanted to know about their illness, treatment, side-effects, and chances of cure.

Citing Articles

Patient and caregiver perspectives of select non-communicable diseases in India: A scoping review.

Nila S, Dutta E, Prakash S, Korula S, Oommen A PLoS One. 2024; 19(1):e0296643.

PMID: 38180969 PMC: 10769076. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296643.

Factors associated with knowledge of diagnosis, prognosis & distress in cancer patients receiving palliative care - A retrospective cohort analysis.

Deenadayalan S, Balakrishnan K, Chidambaram S Indian J Med Res. 2023; 157(6):568-576.

PMID: 37530312 PMC: 10466486.

Delivering Prognostic News to Older People with Chronic Disease: What Format Preference and Level of Involvement in Decision Making? A Hospital Survey.

Lewis E, Hammill K, Culbert R, van der Merwe M, Sahay A, Turner R Healthcare (Basel). 2023; 11(3).

PMID: 36767019 PMC: 9913994. DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11030444.

"I want to live, but …" the desire to live and its physical, psychological, spiritual, and social factors among advanced cancer patients: evidence from the APPROACH study in India.

Joad A, Hota A, Agarwal P, Patel K, Patel K, Puri J BMC Palliat Care. 2022; 21(1):153.

PMID: 36045352 PMC: 9429624. DOI: 10.1186/s12904-022-01041-z.

Feasibility of a Palliative Care Intervention Utilizing Community Health Workers to Facilitate Delivery of Home-based Palliative Care in India.

Cartmell K, Kenneson S, Roy R, Bhattacharjee G, Panda N, Kumar G Indian J Palliat Care. 2022; 28(1):21-27.

PMID: 35673377 PMC: 9165458. DOI: 10.25259/IJPC_62_21.

References

Bozcuk H, Erdogan V, Eken C, Ciplak E, Samur M, Ozdogan M . Does awareness of diagnosis make any difference to quality of life? Determinants of emotional functioning in a group of cancer patients in Turkey. Support Care Cancer. 2002; 10(1):51-7. DOI: 10.1007/s005200100308. View

Muthu Kumar D, Symonds R, Sundar S, Ibrahim K, Savelyich B, Miller E . Information needs of Asian and White British cancer patients and their families in Leicestershire: a cross-sectional survey. Br J Cancer. 2004; 90(8):1474-8. PMC: 2409694. DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6601774. View

van der Molen B . Relating information-needs to the cancer experience. 1. Jenny's story: a cancer narrative. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2000; 9(1):41-7. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2354.2000.00191.x. View

Sutherland H, Llewellyn-Thomas H, Lockwood G, Tritchler D, Till J . Cancer patients: their desire for information and participation in treatment decisions. J R Soc Med. 1989; 82(5):260-3. PMC: 1292127. DOI: 10.1177/014107688908200506. View

Kravitz R, Melnikow J . Engaging patients in medical decision making. BMJ. 2001; 323(7313):584-5. PMC: 1121170. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.323.7313.584. View

Jenkins V, Fallowfield L, Saul J . Information needs of patients with cancer: results from a large study in UK cancer centres. Br J Cancer. 2001; 84(1):48-51. PMC: 2363610. DOI: 10.1054/bjoc.2000.1573. View

Ali N, Khalil H, Yousef W . A comparison of American and Egyptian cancer patients' attitudes and unmet needs. Cancer Nurs. 1993; 16(3):193-203. View

Asai A, Kishino M, Tsuguya F, Sakai M, Yokota M, Nakata K . A report from Japan: choices of Japanese patients in the face of disagreement. Bioethics. 2001; 12(2):162-72. DOI: 10.1111/1467-8519.00102. View

Barnett M . Does it hurt to know the worst?--psychological morbidity, information preferences and understanding of prognosis in patients with advanced cancer. Psychooncology. 2005; 15(1):44-55. DOI: 10.1002/pon.921. View

10.

Carlsson M . Cancer patients seeking information from sources outside the health care system. Support Care Cancer. 2000; 8(6):453-7. DOI: 10.1007/s005200000166. View

11.

Chaturvedi S, Loiselle C, Chandra P . Communication with relatives and collusion in palliative care: a cross-cultural perspective. Indian J Palliat Care. 2010; 15(1):2-9. PMC: 2886207. DOI: 10.4103/0973-1075.53485. View

12.

Al-Amri A . Cancer patients' desire for information: a study in a teaching hospital in Saudi Arabia. East Mediterr Health J. 2009; 15(1):19-24. View

13.

Mistry A, Wilson S, Priestman T, Damery S, Haque M . How do the information needs of cancer patients differ at different stages of the cancer journey? A cross-sectional survey. JRSM Short Rep. 2010; 1(4):30. PMC: 2984359. DOI: 10.1258/shorts.2010.010032. View

14.

Wang S, Chen C, Chen Y, Huang H . The attitude toward truth telling of cancer in Taiwan. J Psychosom Res. 2004; 57(1):53-8. DOI: 10.1016/S0022-3999(03)00566-X. View

15.

Sekimoto M, Asai A, Ohnishi M, Nishigaki E, Fukui T, Shimbo T . Patients' preferences for involvement in treatment decision making in Japan. BMC Fam Pract. 2004; 5:1. PMC: 375530. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2296-5-1. View

16.

Ishaque S, Saleem T, Khawaja F, Qidwai W . Breaking bad news: exploring patient's perspective and expectations. J Pak Med Assoc. 2010; 60(5):407-11. View

17.

Younge D, Moreau P, Ezzat A, Gray A . Communicating with cancer patients in Saudi Arabia. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1997; 809:309-16. DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1997.tb48094.x. View

18.

Faulkner A . ABC of palliative care. Communication with patients, families, and other professionals. BMJ. 1998; 316(7125):130-2. PMC: 2665378. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.316.7125.130. View

19.

Gautam S, Nijhawan M . Communicating with cancer patients. Br J Psychiatry. 1987; 150:760-4. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.150.6.760. View

20.

Leydon G, Boulton M, Moynihan C, Jones A, Mossman J, Boudioni M . Cancer patients' information needs and information seeking behaviour: in depth interview study. BMJ. 2000; 320(7239):909-13. PMC: 27332. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.320.7239.909. View