The physician-patient relationship before cancer treatment: a prospective longitudinal study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate quality of life before surgery for genital cancer to determine risk factors that might influence the physician-patient relationship.


METHODS
From 1993 until 2003, 129 women with cervical cancer entered this prospective study. Patients were contacted 1 to 5 days before surgery by a psychologist or psychotherapeutically trained physician on the surgical ward. The semistructured interview included questions on the patient's psychosocial well-being according to criteria of the biographic interview technique. The preoperative anxiety level was evaluated by the STAI and quality of life by the Cancer Rehabilitation Evaluation System (CARES) and EORTC questionnaires. Patients were assigned to groups undergoing pelvic exenteration (n = 62) or Wertheim procedure (n = 67).


RESULTS
The preoperative anxiety level did not correlate with the treatment modality. Women with a high anxiety level complained of a lack of information which correlated with a dissatisfaction concerning the physician-patient relationship (r = 0.457, P = 0.001). Quality of life in terms of medical interaction and the need for information were indicated to be the most important aspects for cancer patients facing genital surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
These data demonstrate the need for information strategies before surgery: first, to reduce anxiety by anticipating future quality of life outcome problems and, second, to improve medical interaction before stressful treatment options.
Hawighorst
Sabine
S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Mainz, 55101, Mainz, Germany. schoenef@mail.uni-mainz.de
Schoenefuss
Goetz
G
Fusshoeller
Claudia
C
Franz
Cordula
C
Seufert
Rudolph
R
Kelleher
Debra K
DK
Vaupel
Peter
P
Knapstein
Paul Georg
PG
Koelbl
Heinz
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011584:Psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery