Study: Half of Breast Cancer Patients Dissatisfied With Information

Half of all breast cancer patients are given "incomplete or incomprehensible" information about their disease, according to researchers in Munich, Germany.

In a study of patients at 50 hospitals, reported in the Annals of Oncology, 45 percent of the patients said "some aspect of the medical staff's communication was unclear, and 59 per cent wanted to speak with medical staff more."

The researchers said patients under 50 years of age were more aware of social and psychological help services and had greater contact with support groups, but were "less satisfied with the information they received."

Patients over 50 years of age, though less likely to complain about poor communication, reported "significantly worse" quality of life when communication was unsatisfactory, the researchers added.

The researchers concluded that "communication is clearly a vital clinical skill" that could stand improvement.

Other sources: Annals of Oncology