Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026
Proton Therapy Delivery and Its Clinical Application in Select Solid Tumor Malignancies
Published on: February 6, 2019
Palliative or curative treatment intent affects communication in radiation therapy consultations
Liesbeth M Timmermans1, Richard W M van der Maazen, Jan Willem H Leer
1Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Centre Nijmegen, The Netherlands. L.Timmermans@mps.umcn.nl
Objective:
To assess whether communication in radiotherapy consultations is affected by palliative or curative treatment intent.
Subjects And Methods:
The study involved 160 patients and 8 radiation oncologists. Eighty patients visited the radiation oncologist (RO) for palliative treatment and 80 for curative treatment. The consultation prior to radiation treatment was analyzed with the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS). Within three days, patients completed a quality of life questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-C30).
Results:
In palliative radiotherapy (PRT) consultations, ROs asked more (closed-ended) biomedical and psychosocial questions and provided more information on prognosis than in consultations for curative radiotherapy (CRT). Patients in both groups provided a great deal of psychosocial information but asked few questions. The ROs expressed more concerns in the PRT consultations, while patients did not. PRT patients received fewer supportive remarks than CRT patients. In both groups, explicit decision-making received little attention. Proxies who accompanied the patients took a more active role in PRT than in CRT consultations.
Conclusion:
Communication in radiotherapy is affected by treatment intent with respect to the main contents of the consultation.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Therapeutic Communication
Verbal communication depends on language or a prescribed way of using words so that people can share information effectively. The critical aspects of verbal...
01:27Nursing Ethical Principles II
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's cancer...
01:25Continuing Care
02:49Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
02:49Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
01:23Techniques of Therapeutic Communication II: Focusing, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
This therapeutic technique can also be used when a patient brings up pertinent information during a health-related conversation. The...