Cancer-related direct-to-consumer advertising: awareness, perceptions, and reported impact among patients undergoing active cancer treatment.
OBJECTIVE
Although cancer-related direct-to-consumer advertising (CR-DTCA) is prevalent, little is known about cancer patients' experiences with this controversial medium of medical communication.


METHODS
We administered a 41-item, mailed questionnaire to consecutive patients with breast and hematologic malignancies who were undergoing active treatment at our institution. We assessed awareness of CR-DTCA within the prior year, perceptions of CR-DTCA, and CR-DTCA-prompted patient and provider behaviors.


RESULTS
We received 348 completed questionnaires (response rate, 75.0%). Overall, 86.2% reported being aware of CR-DTCA, most frequently from television (77.7%). Awareness did not vary with clinical or sociodemographic factors except that patients were more likely to be aware of CR-DTCA for products specific to their cancer types (P < .0001). A majority of those aware reported that CR-DTCA made them "aware of treatments they did not know about" (62.2%), provided information in "a balanced manner" (65.2%), and helped them to have "better discussions" with their provider (56.8%). These perceptions were significantly more favorable among those who had not graduated from college (P < .05 for each). Overall, 11.2% reported that CR-DTCA made them "less confident" in their providers' judgment. Of those aware, 17.3% reported talking to their provider about an advertised medication, although less than one fifth of those reported receiving a prescription for the advertised medication.


CONCLUSIONS
The patients in our cohort were highly aware of CR-DTCA. CR-DTCA was found to be accessible and useful; however, it decreased some patients' confidence in their providers' judgment. CR-DTCA prompted a modest amount of patient-provider discussion but infrequent patient-reported changes in therapy.
Abel
Gregory A
GA
Center for Outcomes and Policy Research, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney St, Smith 271, Boston, MA 02115, USA. gregory_abel@dfci.harvard.edu
Burstein
Harold J
HJ
Hevelone
Nathanael D
ND
Weeks
Jane C
JC
D000329:Advertising; D001364:Awareness; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004346:Drug Information Services; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D008297:Male; D008389:Marketing of Health Services; D008402:Mass Media; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010465:Perception; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires