Illness uncertainty and risk management for people with cancer

Patients with cancer live with considerable uncertainty. This uncertainty can be related to the process of diagnosis, treatment, remission or palliative care, and therefore it can be experienced repeatedly or continuously throughout a patient's life. For patients with low literacy or low numeracy, it can be difficult to access, understand and interpret risk, so shared decision making may be difficult.

The aim of this article is to address the challenges of managing anxiety and uncertainty for patients with cancer in the general practice setting.

The diagnosis of cancer is a life-changing event, and it can herald a long journey of anxiety, uncertainty and change. General practitioners (GPs) can assist patients to navigate complex health systems and find a sense of autonomy and agency in an otherwise marginalising life experience. For patients with low literacy and numeracy, GPs have a critical role in enabling shared decision making and ensuring consent is fully informed.