Women with breast cancer may benefit from better educational materials and more time when making choices about their treatment, according to two studies published in Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
Here are six findings from the studies.
1. One study surveyed 487 women who had either a lumpectomy, mastectomy or both procedures. Regardless of what kind of treatment they received, at least one in five women said choosing quickly was more important than making an informed decision. Additionally, roughly the same percentage of patients believed they did not receive adequate information before their operations.
2. The survey found 47 percent of lumpectomy patients, 67 percent of mastectomy patients and 28 percent of women who had both operations said they felt completely informed before they underwent their surgeries.
3. Thirty-five percent of the lumpectomy patients, 31 percent of the mastectomy patients, and 22 percent of the women who had both operations said making a quick decision was more important than making an informed decision.
4. The second study offered a way for women to better understand their treatment options. In this study, researchers randomly assigned 227 women who had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer to either use an online decision-making tool or read educational materials available on websites, such as the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute. All of the women participated in the study before they had their first surgical consultation.
5. Using the decision-making tool, half of the women scored at least 80 out of 100 on breast cancer knowledge and treatment options tests, compared with a median score of 66 for women who reviewed various website material.
6. Seventy-two percent of the women who used the decision aid were aware they could wait several weeks before making an informed treatment choice and that waiting would not affect their survival odds, compared with 54 percent for women who reviewed various website material.