Study Identifies Areas for Improvement in Educating Patients With Pancreatic Cancer About Treatment Options

Study identifies key elements of information patients with pancreatic cancer need to receive when considering preoperative therapy (JCO Oncol Pract. 2021; OP2100388. doi:10.1200/OP.21.00388).

Both complex risks and improved outcomes accompany the prospect of preoperative therapy for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. “By not discussing the potential risks and benefits of new treatment options, clinicians may hinder patients from making informed decisions,” wrote Howard Lee Jr, MD, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, and colleagues.

A mixed-methods study was conducted between 2017 and 2019, eliciting 13 clinicians’, 18 patients’, And 14 caregivers’ perceptions of information needed for decision-making regarding preoperative therapy, and a list of key elements was created from their responses.

Twenty patients’ initial multidisciplinary oncology visits were audio-recorded, and a qualitative content analysis was conducted, noting how clinicians discussed this information and surveyed patients to ask if they heard each key element.

Authors identified 13 key elements of information that patients need to consider regarding preoperative therapy. Some of the key elements were treatment complications, alternatives, logistics, and potential outcomes.

Of the 20 patients whose initial multidisciplinary oncology visits were audio-recorded, 3 reported hearing infrequently about complications, 8 about alternatives, and 19 frequently recalled logistics and potential outcomes. Seven patients reported that clinicians infrequently discussed complications, however, all patients reported that clinicians frequently discussed alternatives, logistics, and potential outcomes.

“We identified key elements of information patients with pancreatic cancer need when considering preoperative therapy,” wrote Dr Lee and colleagues, adding, “Patients infrequently heard about treatment complications and alternatives, while frequently hearing about logistics and potential outcomes, underscoring areas for improvement in educating patients about new treatment options in oncology.”