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  • Title: Cancer patient preferences for communication of prognosis in the metastatic setting.
    Author: Hagerty RG, Butow PN, Ellis PA, Lobb EA, Pendlebury S, Leighl N, Goldstein D, Lo SK, Tattersall MH.
    Journal: J Clin Oncol; 2004 May 01; 22(9):1721-30. PubMed ID: 15117995.
    Abstract:
    PURPOSE: To identify preferences for and predictors of prognostic information among patients with incurable metastatic cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred twenty-six metastatic cancer patients seeing 30 oncologists at 12 outpatient clinics in New South Wales, Australia, participated in the study. Patients were diagnosed with incurable metastatic disease within 6 weeks to 6 months of recruitment. Patients completed a survey eliciting their preferences for prognostic information, including type, quantity, mode, and timing of presentation; anxiety and depression levels; and information and involvement preferences. RESULTS: More than 95% of patients wanted information about side effects, symptoms, and treatment options. The majority wanted to know longest survival time with treatment (85%), 5-year survival rates (80%), and average survival (81%). Words and numbers were preferred over pie charts or graphs. Fifty-nine percent (59%) wanted to discuss expected survival when first diagnosed with metastatic disease. Thirty-eight percent and 44% wanted to negotiate when expected survival and dying, respectively, were discussed. Patients with higher depression scores were more likely to want to know shortest time to live without treatment (P =.047) and average survival (P =.049). Lower depression levels were significantly associated with never wanting to discuss expected survival (P =.03). Patients with an expected survival of years were more likely to want to discuss life expectancy when first diagnosed with metastases (P =.02). CONCLUSION: Most metastatic cancer patients want detailed prognostic information but prefer to negotiate the extent, format, and timing of the information they receive from their oncologists.
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