title: Poor-prognosis disclosure preference in cancer patient-caregiver dyads and its association with their quality of life and perceived stress: a cross-sectional survey in mainland China.
abstract: This study attempted to examine the discordance between family caregivers and cancer patients in their poor-prognosis disclosure preferences in mainland China and then ascertained the associations between quality of life (QoL), perceived stress, and poor-prognosis disclosure preferences.
  
  
  
  Six hundred fifty-one pairs of inpatients and their matched caregivers (participation rate = 92.2%) were recruited in this cross-sectional survey. A set of paired self-administered questionnaires were completed independently by patient-caregiver dyads.
  
  
  
  Fewer family caregivers than cancer patients felt that poor prognosis should be disclosed to patients (61.2% vs. 90.0%, p < 0.001). Patients' positive poor-prognosis disclosure preference was associated with patients' better QoL (p < 0.05) and caregivers' reduced perceived stress levels (p = 0.013). However, caregivers' poor-prognosis disclosure preference correlated only with their own physical state (p = 0.028). Moreover, the caregivers who concurred with patients in positive poor-prognosis disclosure preference were more likely to experience a better QoL (p < 0.05) and lower perceived stress levels (p = 0.048) in the III-IV stage subgroup.
  
  
  
  There was a significant discrepancy in poor-prognosis disclosure preference between cancer patients and caregivers in China. The caregivers' preference of concealing poor prognosis from patients was not related to cancer patients' QoL or perceived stress. In addition, caregivers had better QoL and lower stress levels when they held the same positive poor-prognosis disclosure preference as the patients. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Dawei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China.
authors.forename: Qiming
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Social Work and Human Sciences, University of West London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manyande
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Tengfei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Shiying
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Huihua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xiong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D010465:Perception; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014342:Truth Disclosure