1. Characteristics of patients with advanced cancer preferring not to know prognosis: a multicenter survey study
- Author
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Naomi C. A. van der Velden, Hanneke W. M. van Laarhoven, Sjaak A. Burgers, Lizza E. L. Hendriks, Filip Y. F. L. de Vos, Anne-Marie C. Dingemans, Joost Jansen, Jan-Maarten W. van Haarst, Joyce Dits, Ellen MA Smets, and Inge Henselmans
- Subjects
Patient Preference ,Prognosis ,Physician–patient relations ,Communication ,Disclosure ,Palliative care ,Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology. Including cancer and carcinogens ,RC254-282 - Abstract
Abstract Background For some patients with advanced cancer not knowing prognosis is essential. Yet, in an era of informed decision-making, the potential protective function of unawareness is easily overlooked. We aimed to investigate 1) the proportion of advanced cancer patients preferring not to know prognosis; 2) the reasons underlying patients’ prognostic information preference; 3) the characteristics associated with patients’ prognostic information preference; and 4) the concordance between physicians’ perceived and patients’ actual prognostic information preference. Methods This is a cross-sectional study with structured surveys (PROSPECT). Medical and thoracic oncologists included patients (n = 524), from seven Dutch hospitals, with metastatic/inoperable cancer and an expected median overall survival of ≤ 12 months. For analysis, descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were used. Results Twenty-five to 31% of patients preferred not to know a general life expectancy estimate or the 5/2/1-year mortality risk. Compared to patients preferring to know prognosis, patients preferring unawareness more often reported optimism, avoidance and inability to comprehend information as reasons for wanting limited information; and less often reported expectations of others, anxiety, autonomy and a sense of control as reasons for wanting complete information. Females (p
- Published
- 2022
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