title: Staged Improvement in Awareness of Disease for Elderly Cancer Patients in Southern China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In mainland China, awareness of disease of elderly cancer patients largely relies on the patients' families. We developed a staged procedure to improve their awareness of disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 224 elderly cancer patients from 9 leading hospitals across Southern China. A questionnaire was given to the oncologists in charge of each patient to evaluate the interaction between family and patients, patient awareness of their disease and participation in medical decision-making. After first cycles of treatment, increased information of disease was given to patients with cooperation of the family. Then patient awareness of their disease and participation in medical decision-making was documented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 224 cancer elderly patients, 26 (11.6%) made decisions by themselves and 125 (55.8%) delegated their rights of decision- making to their family. Subordinate family members tended to play a passive role in decision-making significantly. Patients participating more in medical decision-making tended to know more about their disease. However, in contrast to the awareness of disease, patient awareness of violation of medical recommendations was reversely associated with their participation in medical decision-making. Improvement in awareness of diagnosis, stages and prognosis was achieved in about 20% elderly cancer patients. About 5% participated more actively in medical decision-making.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chinese elderly cancer patient awareness of disease and participation in medical decision-making is limited and relies on their family status. The staged procedure we developed to improve patient awareness of disease proved effective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China E-mail : wuxiangy@mail.sysu.edu.cn; Linqu@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Jing-Yun
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Xiao-Kun
authors.initials: XK
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Yan-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Zhan-Hong
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Dan-Yun
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.forename: Ze-Xiao
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Tian-Tian
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Dong-Hao
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hai-Tao
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Jia-Yu
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Zhuang-Hua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yuan-Chao
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Chang-Chang
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Xiang-Yuan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Qu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China; D003657:Decision Making; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D010358:Patient Participation; D011379:Prognosis