Understanding explanations can be life-saving

Good communication is essential to building trust. This is also true for patients who are diagnosed with cancer and count on their healthcare providers for the best possible care. To fully understand what type of cancer you have, what tests you will undergo and what treatments you face, thorough explanations are indispensable. As a patient, you have a right to understandable information, but unfortunately you don't always get it. Little is known about the extent to which patients understand the information offered and its impact on their compliance. This is especially true for hormone-sensitive breast cancers that require years of post-treatment with hormones.

Survey

Between July and August 2023, more than 1,000 U.S. breast cancer patients who had been diagnosed within the past 10 years were asked to participate in an anonymous online survey. The average age of participants was 62, the time since breast cancer diagnosis averaged just over two years, and in 6.5% the cancer had metastasized. Three-quarters of the participants were highly educated. They were asked questions about communication with their doctor, about their disease and about side effects of various treatments, and about their compliance. Just over nine in 10 respondents reported that their doctors usually or always explained things in a way they could understand. Most participants also felt that their doctor gave a good explanation of possible short-term side effects they could expect. One-third of the women went looking for additional information about possible side effects on their own. A small group (6%) reported that their doctor did not explain possible side effects at all. Regarding long-term side effects, doctors generally did much less: only 28% provided an understandable explanation about them. The patients who had received insufficient explanation about possible side effects, short- or long-term, were more likely to discontinue their medication. Fifteen percent stopped post-treatment altogether, and the group included twice as many women who had received no or no comprehensible explanation from their doctor.

The researchers conclude that the breast cancer patients surveyed were mostly satisfied with the communication skills of their health care providers, but noted that potential side effects were not always explained well, especially when it came to the long-term impact of side effects. The patients who did not follow breast cancer treatment as prescribed were mostly women who had not received proper explanations.

Source: Patient-reported provider communication skills and adherence to recommended treatment in breast cancer. J Clin Oncol 2024;42.