title: Trusting God and medicine: spirituality in advanced cancer patients volunteering for clinical trials of experimental agents.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the role of spirituality in terminally ill cancer patients who volunteer for clinical trials of experimental agents. Information about spirituality (FACIT-Sp), quality of life (FACT-G), awareness of prognosis, and decision-making preferences was obtained from 162 advanced cancer patients who volunteered for phase I trials. In a multivariable model, phase I patients had slightly higher levels of spirituality (p<0.001) than a group of 156 advanced cancer patients who were not participants in phase I trials. For the phase I patients, spirituality was positively associated with quality of life (Spearman rho=0.36, p<0.001). There was little association between either spirituality or religious problem-solving style and phase I patients' awareness of their prognosis or decision-making preferences. One phase I patient who said, 'I put faith in doctors and God,' expressed these patients' willingness to trust both God and medicine.
authors.affiliation: Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612-3833, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Daugherty
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fitchett
authors.forename: Patricia E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Amy H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Peterman
authors.forename: Donald M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Banik
authors.forename: Fay
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hlubocky
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tartaro
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017321:Clinical Trials, Phase I as Topic; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D010358:Patient Participation; D011340:Problem Solving; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D029181:Spirituality; D014838:Volunteers