Cancer Patients and Physician Communication: Progress and Continuing Problems

Abstract

Although physicians who treat cancer patients are disclosing more information to them about the disease, there is still much variation in practice about how much and which information to tell patients. Whereas a diagnosis of cancer is rarely withheld, many physicians still tell patients little about prognosis, treatment risks, and treatment alternatives. Recent studies have found that most patients continue to have significant gaps in their recall and understanding of treatment-related information and that information is often not conveyed in a comprehensible way. However, detailed information has not been found to be associated with adverse patient psychological outcomes. As yet, little is understood about why physicians are so reluctant to disclose information to cancer patients or why, even when information is conveyed, patient recall is poor and comprehension is limited. More studies are needed to understand the why's and the how's of communication processes, as opposed to continued documentation of the process itself.