Cancer patients' search for information

This study explored the information-seeking behavior of 257 cancer patients or their relatives who received specific, treatment-related information from the Illinois office of the Cancer Information Service (CIS); it also explored the information-seeking behavior of a sample of 262 other cancer patients matched for age, gender, race, cancer site, and type of hospital where first seen. Among the matched patients, 53% sought information from at least one source besides their physicians. These information seekers were similar to the selected CIS patients in many respects. Compared with patients who did not seek information, both CIS patients and these other information seekers were more likely to have felt more stressed when first diagnosed, to have sought a second opinion, to have been seen at more hospitals and by more physicians since diagnosis, to prefer greater information about and involvement in their treatment plans, and to have been less confident that physicians always have the most current cancer knowledge. The majority of both information-seeking groups sought explanatory information about their cancer or treatment, and most wanted information just after their diagnosis and before starting treatment. Those in the comparison sample, however, had less well-defined questions and consulted fewer sources; only a few of them received the type of information provided by the CIS, and they were less likely to discuss with their physicians the information obtained from various sources.