e20643 Background: Lung cancer chemotherapy decisions in patients > 70 years old are complex; in order to integrate patients in the decision-making process, they must be informed. To assess the modes of communication with older lung cancer patients, we prospectively collected data in order to assess patients’ level of knowledge about diagnosis and prognosis. We examined who informed the patient, the information given and what the patient knew and wanted to know. Relationships, among other parameters were presented. Methods: 83 patients diagnosed with lung cancer from January 2006 to February 2008 were recruited from a single center. Logistic regression and multiple imputation methods were used to assess associations between patient information and independent variables. Results: In the majority of cases, families received the diagnosis of lung cancer (92.8%). Family was more protective when the patients were elderly (p: 0,036), depressed (p: 0,054), had dementia (p: 0,03), had poor performance status (p: 0,03) or complied with frailty criteria (p: 0,014). At our institution, physicians who gave cancer diagnoses were not oncologists. We received the patient diagnosed yet. We found that they usually gave cancer diagnosis preferably to family members. Only 27,7% of patients were informed that they had tumors. There was a correlation between age and more protective attitudes on the part of physicians. 73,5% of patients actively solicited information, however elderly and frail patients tended to do so less. Conclusions: A large proportion of elderly lung cancer patients do not receive adequate information about their disease prior to contact with oncologists however they do actively ask for information and speak about cancer with oncologists. Information about cancer is difficult to provide, even in elderly patients.
Survival of Indigenous and non‐Indigenous Queenslanders after a diagnosis of lung cancer: a matched cohort study
