Perception of cancer recurrence risk: more information is better. Patient Educ Couns 2013 Mar;90(3):361-6
Date
01/11/2012Pubmed ID
22231022DOI
10.1016/j.pec.2011.12.003Scopus ID
2-s2.0-84873422146 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 25 CitationsAbstract
OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. Given the advances in extending survival, the number of recently diagnosed breast cancer patients and longer-term breast cancer survivors is growing. The goals of this study were to better understand (1) perceptions of provider cancer recurrence risk communication, (2) perceived risk of breast cancer recurrence in cancer patients and survivors, and (3) accuracy of perceived risk.
METHODS: A survey was conducted on women with a prior breast cancer (n=141).
RESULTS: Approximately 40% of women perceived that providers had not talked about their breast cancer recurrence risk; although only 1 person reported not wanting a physician to talk to her about her risk. Women were largely inaccurate in their assessments of risk. Greater worry, living in a rural area, and longer time since diagnosis were associated with greater inaccuracy. Women tended to think about distal recurrence of cancer as often of local recurrence.
CONCLUSIONS: Perceived risk of breast cancer recurrence was inaccurate, and patients desired more communication about recurrence risk.
PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Consistent with findings from other studies, greater efforts are needed to improve the communication of cancer recurrence risk to patients. Attention should be paid to those from rural areas and to distal cancer recurrence in women with a previous history of breast cancer.
Author List
Kelly KM, Ajmera M, Bhattacharjee S, Vohra R, Hobbs G, Chaudhary L, Abraham J, Agnese DAuthor
Lubna N. Chaudhary MD Associate Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Breast NeoplasmsCommunication
Female
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Information Dissemination
Middle Aged
Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
Perception
Physician-Patient Relations
Risk
Risk Factors
Survivors
Truth Disclosure
