• G Oskay-Ozcelik, W Lehmacher, D Könsgen, H Christ, M Kaufmann, W Lichtenegger, M Bamberg, D Wallwiener, F Overkamp, K Diedrich, G von Minckwitz, K Höffken, S Seeber, R Mirz, and J Sehouli.
• Charité Medical University, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
• Ann. Oncol. 2007 Mar 1;18(3):479-84.

BackgroundThe following study was conducted to explore patients' information needs and preferences with a special focus on doctor-patient communication.Patients And MethodsA 62-item questionnaire developed by a multidisciplinary team and validated in a phase-I study was given to breast cancer patients via the Internet (homepage) or in a hard copy version.ResultsA total of 617 patients responded, 552 on line and 65 via the hard copy questionnaire. The median age of the on-line group was 47 (21-85) and 55 (40-92) in the hard copy group. Sixty-five per cent of the patients were treated with the intention of achieving a cure and 35% of the patients had metastatic disease. The median length of the consultation communicating the information 'You have breast cancer' was 15 min (0-300). The most effective and patient-relevant source of information about the disease and the treatment options was consultation with the physician (84%). When asked to suggest areas for improvement, patients' most common answers were: more complementary therapies should be offered by the physician (54%); physicians should take more time to explain things (51%); and cooperation between the physicians involved in the patient's care should be improved (39%). The questions most relevant to patients were: 'Am I getting the right therapy?' (89%); 'How many patients with my condition does my doctor treat?' (46%) and 'Can I be enrolled into a trial?' (46%). An independent second opinion centre was desired by 94% of the respondents but only 20% knew of any such resource.ConclusionsThis study underlines the need to give patients with breast cancer the full details on treatment options and cancer management. The results provide a suitable basis for a broader interdisciplinary discussion of the patient-physician relationship and should be useful in generating hypotheses for subsequent prospective studies.

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