Two-thirds of women with early-stage breast cancer want to be involved in planning their treatment, although just under half say their doctor ultimately made the decision, an Australian-funded study reports.
Researchers surveyed nearly 700 patients treated by 62 oncologists in five countries, using questionnaires to determine their pre- and postconsultation preferences for involvement in treatment decision-making, and whether their preferences were met.
Although only 28% of women initially wanted to delegate the decision to their doctor, 46% reported that the doctor took the decision anyway.
After initial consultation, nearly half of the women’s preferences changed, largely shifting towards wanting more decisional control. The final treatment decision was more likely to reflect the women’s postconsultation wishes, the authors said.
Patients who were happy with...
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