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NASHVILLE, Tenn., Mar 05 (Reuters Health) - Women who are newly diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer would prefer an aggressive treatment, even if it has painful side effects, a researcher reported Sunday.
When women are newly diagnosed, "they are hopeful and see the cancer as something that will be taken care of. For that reason, they are willing to pay the price for aggressive treatment, even if the price is a lower quality of life," Dr. Brigitte Miller said at the 32nd Annual Meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists.
Miller and colleague Dr. Carson Strong, of the University of Tennessee in Memphis, surveyed 65 newly diagnosed cancer patients, 93 women who had already been successfully treated for cancer, and a group of 42 healthy volunteers.
In the newly diagnosed and post-treatment groups, about half of the women had cervical cancer, one-third had uterine cancer, and the rest had ovarian cancer. The women ranged in age from 25 to 83.
Cancer treatments, especially chemotherapy and radiation therapy, can leave patients weak, tired and depressed. At the time of diagnosis, 51% of women said they wanted aggressive treatment regardless of side effects. But after treatment, 66% of the women whose quality of life had been adversely affected by the therapy said they were unsure if they would chose aggressive treatment if the cancer were to recur.
Although the women in study had three different types of cancer, Miller said the numbers were not large enough to determine if the type of cancer influenced survey responses. Cervical and uterine cancers respond well to treatment but ovarian cancer is often so far advanced at time of diagnosis that it carries a worse prognosis.
Beyond wanting an aggressive approach to cancer treatment, women also want to discuss the emotional aspects of a cancer diagnosis, Miller said. "The most common emotion that women share is fear and the fear is still there even after treatment."
But, Miller noted, many physicians may not take the time to ask about emotions. Women whose physicians don't ask, "need to come out and tell the doctor about their fears," she said.
Finally, women and their doctors need "to talk about the future, about what comes after diagnosis and treatment," Miller added. She said women could ask for a timetable of when they can expect to return to various activities. "Women need to ask for and be given the type of supportive information that is helpful to them in planning both their treatment and their lives after cancer."
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