This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Yardley, S J Articles by Sheldon, F Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Yardley, S J Articles by Sheldon, F Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Lung Cancer Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Receiving a diagnosis of lung cancer: patients' interpretations, perceptions and perspectives

C L Davis

Countess Mountbatten House, Moorgreen Hospital, Southampton

F Sheldon

Department of Social Work Studies, University of Southampton Highfield, Southampton

Lung cancer has a higher incidence than any other type of cancer and more than 80% of sufferers die within a year of diagnosis. An important aspect of caring for cancer patients is the breaking of bad news, something that most doctors admit to having difficulty with. Only a few publications on this issue adopt the patients' perspective. This study aimed to document patients' views on delivery of lung cancer diagnoses, their attitudes to methods used and ideas for improvement.

Patients were selected from medical, surgical and general practitioner clinics to provide insight into patients' perceptions of care in different environments. Those who gave informed consent completed a taped semi-structured interview. Transcripts were analysed qualitatively using a phenomenological approach. Recruitment was stopped when saturation was reached: no new themes were being identified. A summary of results was sent to patients, whenever possible, for their comment. An independent researcher coded four transcripts to establish the degree of inter-rater reliability.

Thirteen patients were recruited. There were five key areas: communication (including the use of words such as ‘tumour' and ‘growth'), family/community issues, reaction to diagnosis, views on treatment and prognosis (all of which were very variable), and suggested improvements (e.g. a clearer explanation of the experience of bronchoscopy in the patient information leaflet, PIL). Inter-rater reliability was good. The PIL is being revised.

Factors including family situation and personal experience of illness vary greatly and yet they influence patients' reactions to receiving a diagnosis of lung cancer, their interpretation of this and their attitudes to the illness and treatment. These findings underline the need to continue to develop lung cancer services that can provide quality care tailored to each patient.

Key Words: lung cancer/neoplasms • patient's perceptions • communication • bad news • truth disclosures

Palliative Medicine, Vol. 15, No. 5, 379-386 (2001)
DOI: 10.1191/026921601680419429


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Jansen, P. N. Butow, J. C.M. van Weert, S. van Dulmen, R. J. Devine, T. J. Heeren, J. M. Bensing, and M. H.N. Tattersall Does Age Really Matter? Recall of Information Presented to Newly Referred Patients With Cancer J. Clin. Oncol., November 20, 2008; 26(33): 5450 - 5457. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Socinski, R. Crowell, T. E. Hensing, C. J. Langer, R. Lilenbaum, A. B. Sandler, and D. Morris Treatment of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer, Stage IV: ACCP Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines (2nd Edition) Chest, September 1, 2007; 132(3_suppl): 277S - 289S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I Plu, G Moutel, I Purssell-Francois, N Lapidus, F Ellien, C Manaouil, and C Herve Ethical issues arising from the requirement to provide written information in palliative care Palliative Medicine, January 1, 2007; 21(1): 55 - 57. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. Kendall and S. A. Murray Tales of the Unexpected: Patients' Poetic Accounts of the Journey to a Diagnosis of Lung Cancer: A Prospective Serial Qualitative Interview Study Qualitative Inquiry, October 1, 2005; 11(5): 733 - 751. [Abstract] [PDF]