ISSN:
1437-7772
Keywords:
Cancer
;
Truth disclosure
;
Incurability
;
FLIC
;
Quality of life
;
Palliative care
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract Background Whether truth disclosure may harm patients may be critical for the promotion of truth disclosure in patients with cancer. We used the Functional Living Index-Cancer (FLIC) to study the influence of truth disclosure on quality of life (QOL) in cancer patients. Methods. Twenty-three truth-disclosed patients with cancer (TD group) and 21 truth-concealed patients (TC group) were asked to answer 22 FLIC questions at the outpatient clinic. Results were compared with those in 18 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS group) and in 37 patients with other gastrointestinal diseases (OGD group). Results. Average FLIC scores were the same in the TD and IBS groups and in the TC and OGD groups. There were significant differences among the four groups for four FLIC items: “Discouraged about life” (P = 0.04), “Uncomfortable today” (P = 0.03), “Pain disrupts activity”, (P = 0.0003) and “How much nausea” (P = 0.04). The IBS group had the worst FLIC scores for the former three of these items. Truth disclosure influenced only one FLIC item, in that the TD group was more likely to think that their daily activities were disrupted by pain or discomfort than the TC group (P = 0.01). However, incurability of cancer worsened the score for ten FLIC items, among which incurability was independently associated with the deterioration of FLIC-QOL in terms of “Family disruption” (P = 0.03) and “Cancer-related pain” (P = 0.02). Conclusion. Incurability of cancer, not truth disclosure, negatively affects patients' QOL. Thus, if sufficient supportive care is provided particularly to patients with incurable cancer, the truth could be disclosed without fear of being cruel or harming patients.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00539218
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