Survey on pamphlet use explaining breast cancer operations in Japan

The burden on hospitals to provide information has been increasing. This study examined the demands of surgeons and patients using a pamphlet explaining breast cancer operation procedures.

A questionnaire with an eight-page pamphlet was sent to 367 hospitals with surgery departments in Aichi and Gifu prefectures in Japan. The same pamphlet and a self-administered anonymous questionnaire were also sent to 173 members of a breast cancer patient association, who had undergone breast cancer operations and lived in the same prefectures.

Responses to the questionnaire from 196 hospitals (53%) and 122 patients (71%) were analyzed. Breast cancer operations were conducted at 8 departments of 5 university hospitals, 37 governmental hospitals, 25 non-profit hospitals, and 66 private hospitals, a total of 1 36 hospitals. Among them, 34 hospitals participated in clinical trials. Fourteen hospitals had already used pamphlets as a tool for the explanation of breast cancer operation procedures. Hospitals having experienced special discussion with patients regarding the operation procedure were few, and only two hospitals reported claims or lawsuits concerning the operation procedure. About 60% of the hospitals wished to use the pamphlet, while 86% of the patients answered that it would have been useful if handed out before the operation. These patients stated that hospitals should provide this kind of pamphlet to breast cancer patients before operations.

It was clearly demonstrated that the great majority of hospitals in Japan lacked the basic tools for information provision on breast cancer operation procedures, while patients want enough information for self-determination.