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Ways to obtain a breast cancer diagnosis, consistency of information, patient satisfaction, and the presence of relatives

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Abstract

Goals of work

What physicians told breast cancer patients about their diagnosis, who informed them, and how this information was conveyed were examined in this study. Finally, the relatives’ role in this communication process was considered.

Materials and methods

Women with primary breast cancer (N = 222) below the age of 70 were interviewed after surgery and after they were informed about their diagnosis.

Main results

One hundred twenty-one women consulted their primary gynecologist first, then they were referred to a radiologist, and finally to the secondary care gynecologist. Forty-seven women omitted the radiologist and only five went directly to the hospital for treatment. In most cases (N = 199), the general practitioner was not involved. Receiving inconsistent information was associated with patient dissatisfaction. This also applies to women who received their diagnosis on the phone. Women awaiting a worse diagnosis were more likely to be accompanied by another person.

Conclusions

Future studies should focus on the possible involvement of family doctors and relatives during the diagnostic process. Giving inconsistent information should be avoided.

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Acknowledgements

The study was supported by the German Research Association (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) under grant numbers GE1167/1-1 and GE1167/1-2 to Siegfried Geyer and Mechthild Neises. We also thank the breast cancer patients for having consented to participate in this study over a longer period of time. The support of the three cooperating clinics (Oststadt Hospital (Hannover Medical School), Clinics of the Henrietten Foundation, and the Nordstadt Clinic) has to be acknowledged with great thanks.

Barbara Bischofberger collected parts of the interview data and medical information.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Sociology Unit, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany

    Henning Brake, Dorothee Noeres & Siegfried Geyer

  2. Medical Psychology Unit, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany

    Heike Saßmann

  3. Psychosomatic Gynaecology Unit, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany

    Mechthild Neises

Authors
  1. Henning Brake
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  2. Heike Saßmann
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  3. Dorothee Noeres
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  4. Mechthild Neises
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  5. Siegfried Geyer
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Correspondence to Siegfried Geyer.

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Brake, H., Saßmann, H., Noeres, D. et al. Ways to obtain a breast cancer diagnosis, consistency of information, patient satisfaction, and the presence of relatives. Support Care Cancer 15, 841–847 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-006-0195-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-006-0195-6

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