Many Cancer Patients Believe Palliation Restores Health

A survey of patients with terminal lung cancer reveals that nearly two-thirds did not understand that radiation therapy (RT) intended ease their symptoms would not cure their disease.

Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston, MA, USA), the University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA; USA), and other institutions participating in the Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance Consortium enrolled a population and health system based cohort of 832 patients diagnosed with lung cancer from 2003 to 2005. The researchers identified patients with stage wet IIIB or IV lung cancer who received RT, and assessed patient expectations about the goals of RT for incurable lung cancers. In all, 384 patients (46%) completed the surveys, with a median survival among these patients of 11.5 months.

The results showed that 78% of patients believed that RT was very or somewhat likely to help them live longer, and 67% believed that RT was very or somewhat likely to help them with problems related to their cancer. On the other hand, 64% did not understand that RT was not at all likely to cure them. Older patients and nonwhites were more likely to have inaccurate beliefs, and 92% of the patients with inaccurate beliefs about cure from RT also had inaccurate beliefs about chemotherapy. There was no difference in overall survival time between patients who expected to be cured and those who did not. The study was published in the June 17, 2013, issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

“In order to help patients make informed decisions about radiation treatments near the end of life, health care providers need to improve communication and understanding about the goals and limitations of palliative radiation therapy,” said lead author Aileen Chen, MD, MPP, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “While palliative radiation therapy can be very effective at relieving symptoms from cancer, overly intensive care can also reduce patients’ quality of life and lead to significant time and financial burdens for patients and their families.”

Related Links:
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
University of Iowa