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[What Are Patients' Expectations from Palliative Chemotherapy ?]
Nobumichi Takeuchi1, Kumiko Koike, Sonomi Yoshida
1Dept. of Medical Oncology, Ina Central Hospital.
Background:
The gap between patients' and physicians' expectations from treatment has been a difficult problem in oncology because it affects decision-making. This study identified patients' expectations from their treatment and concerns when palliative chemotherapy was initiated.
Methods:
Patients completed a questionnaire, which included open-ended questions about their expectations from the treatment and their biggest concerns at that moment after a clear explanation that the nature of their metastatic or recurrent cancer treatment was palliative and not curative. One hundred and sixty-five consecutive Japanese patients were included in this study.
Results:
Twenty-nine percent of the patients described their expectation as "symptomatic improvement,"28% as"objective treatment effect,"and 19%as"cure."The most common concern was the toxicity(41%). No significant change was revealed in later-line treatment.
Conclusion:
The patients' expectation from palliative chemotherapy and concerns should be considered more precisely in each phase. Dedicated palliative care and explanation of toxicity controlon the initiation of treatments are essential.