[Network of care for breast cancers: a prospective survey among general practitioners]

To clarify the general practitioner (GP)'s current perception on a network dedicated to mammary cancers in a rural department.

A survey by questionnaire was carried out from March to September 1999. This questionnaire made of 3 different sheets and 4 parts entitled "your practice in oncology", the "partnership", "GPs and network", "expectations" respectively, was mailed to 233 GPs board certified by the Conseil Départemental de l'Ordre des Médecins. Questionnaire included space for free comments and a specification sheet. There was no letter of reminder following the first mail.

The rate of spontaneous answers was 48% (112/233). Representativeness of the sample was considered coherent with age, sex-ratio, mean duration of setting up, practice modalities in the department of Aube. GPs took care, on annual average, over 6 patients with breast cancer. They generally referred their patients to the oncologist team at the Centre hospitalier général. Such a choice was mainly sustained by the quality of patient reception, the psychological support and the fraternal relationship. GPs were mostly concerned (76%) by the management of both chemotherapy side effects and psychological problems occurring in their patients. By popular request, they wished the setting up of a hot line and a systematic historical reminder of the adverse effects joined to the mail. As far as the network was concerned, 83% of the GPs thought it could be helpful, but only 60% would actively participate. Reasons for such a discrepancy are discussed taking free comments into account.

GPs in the Aube department seem eager to practice in a more collective way, which places the patient in the heart of the medical approach. However they demand to play a key role according both to their knowledge of the whole file and to the trust the patients are putting on them.