Communicating a Cancer Diagnosis-Current Methods and Their Effects

Background:

• The goals of the study are to identify how a patient with a diagnosis of cancer is informed of their condition and to illuminate the way in which this information exchange occurs.

Objectives:

To distinguish, identify and determine:

• If the method by which a patient is informed of a diagnosis of cancer is associated with their level of satisfaction with that method of being informed
• Who tells the patient of their condition
• The methods used to inform a patient of their condition
• Prognostic indicators of high satisfaction within the diagnostic consult

Eligibility:

• Patients currently enrolled or being screened for enrollment for a phase I, II or III clinical trial at the National Cancer Institutes clinic center- specifically, within the following branch clinics: Medical Oncology, Metabolism, Surgery and Neuro-Oncology.
• Patient must be 18 years or older and be willing to participate in the study.

Design:

• Primary methodological practice is a self-administered questionnaire.
• Questionnaire to be completed by patient on same day that it is administered at NCI.

-INCLUSION CRITERIA:

• Age greater than or equal to 18 years.
• A patient diagnosed with cancer who is either currently enrolled in a protocol and receiving treatment or has come to NCI for consult and potential enrollment in a trial.
• Ability to follow basic verbal instructions as observed by either an investigator of the study or as reported by a member of the patient's primary clinical team.
• Patient must comprehend English, verbal and written, to be determined by the investigator distributing the questionnaire.

-Patients with a hearing and/or visual impairment will be eligible to participate in the study if they so choose. Appropriate accommodations will be made.

• Signed informed consent form.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients that have cognitive impairments, such as mental challenges/retardation due to a congenital or developmental anomaly.

a. Subjects with cognitive impairments are ineligible to participate in the study due to comprehension inabilities.

• Patients who have developed dementia as a result of their disease or from an unspecified source are not eligible for participation due to both memory and overall cognitive deficits.
• Patients that have multiple concurrent cancers are excluded from participation in this study.