TOPLINE:
A cross-sectional survey of patients preparing for their first radiation therapy consultation found that many patients worried about the physical effects of radiation therapy, including pain, memory loss, and nausea, and more than 60% said they were concerned about their ability to perform daily activities. Respondents reported a range of other worries, including the financial cost of treatment, transportation to treatment sessions, and the ability to continue working, as well as misconceptions about radiation therapy, such as concerns about emitting radiation to others.
METHODOLOGY:
- Toxicities from cancer therapies can significantly affect patients’ quality of life and may contribute to their apprehensions before starting a new treatment. Some studies have indicated that patients may have misconceptions about chemotherapy, but less is known about patients’ perceptions of radiation therapy.
- Researchers conducted a cross-sectional survey of patients presenting for initial radiation therapy consultation at a single academic institution and analyzed responses from 214 patients (52% men; 51% White individuals) with no prior radiation therapy experience.
- The patients completed a 30-question electronic survey about radiation therapy perceptions and fears or concerns prior to their initial radiation consultation.
- Cancer diagnoses spanned 18 disease sites, with hematologic malignancies (21%), breast cancer (18%), and lung cancer (15%) being the most common.
TAKEAWAY:
- Physical side effects were the top concern for patients. These included radiation-induced pain (67%), memory loss (62%), nausea/vomiting (60%), and skin reactions (58%).
- Patients expressed concerns about the impact radiation therapy would have on daily activities, with 62% reporting being moderately or very concerned about their ability to perform daily activities and 37% worried about their ability to continue working. Other concerns included the ability to exercise (over half of respondents), financial cost (36%), and transportation to treatment sessions (26%).
- Misconceptions among patients were also common, with 48% expressing concerns about emitting radiation to others and 45% worrying about excreting radioactive urine or stool.
- Patients had varied levels of prior understanding of radiation therapy. Half of patients reported a complete lack of knowledge about radiation therapy, and 35% said they had read or heard stories about bad side effects.
IN PRACTICE:
“Our study suggests that a survey administered prior to radiation oncology consultation can reveal patients’ primary concerns which could promote a more patient-centered discussion that addresses specific concerns and involves appropriate services to help the patient,” the authors wrote.
SOURCE:
This study, led by Jennifer Novak, MD, MS, Department of Radiation Oncology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, was published online in Advances in Radiation Oncology.
LIMITATIONS:
Limitations included response bias and time constraints, which prevented many eligible patients from completing the survey. The single-institution design limits the generalizability of the findings. The survey results also showed a disproportionate focus on physical effects over the social impacts of radiation therapy, which could have limited the comprehensiveness of the findings.
DISCLOSURES:
The authors reported no specific funding for this work and no relevant competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
Source link : https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/patients-have-many-fears-misconceptions-about-radiation-2025a10002g4?src=rss
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Publish date : 2025-01-31 06:20:28
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