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【medical-news】晚期癌症患者并未获知化疗信息
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Patients with incurable cancer are often not clearly informed of what they stand to gain from palliative chemotherapy, according to the study results published in BMJ Online First. As a result, British investigators say, patients may lack sufficient knowledge make a decision based on informed consent.
Palliative chemotherapy is not intended to cure patients of cancer, only to make their lives more tolerable. Nonetheless, this treatment may slightly improve survival.
Dr. Suzanne Audrey, at the University of Bristol, and colleagues observed and recorded 9 oncologists and 37 patients during consultations in which palliative chemotherapy for advanced lung, pancreas, or colon cancer was first discussed.
In all cases, patients were informed that their cancer could not be cured, and the purpose of palliative chemotherapy was explained. They were also informed about treatment options, common side effects and associated risks.
In 8 cases, survival was not discussed at all. In 18 cases, information was "vague," involving comments such as "about 4 weeks, a few months extra, and buy you some time." Only 6 patients were given numerical data about how much longer they would probably live if palliative chemotherapy were used.
"If the oncologist focuses on the benefits of palliative chemotherapy in terms of control of symptoms and quality of life, but omits information about survival benefit, the patient might assume much greater potential to prolong life than is likely to be the case," Audrey and colleagues suggest.
"Perhaps most difficult of all is when a patient, or their partner or carer, makes it clear that they do not want to receive any more bad news. Talking about life expectancy can seem cruel at this point," they continue. "But... supplying basic information about the survival benefit of treatment need not entail giving 'intrusive' data about prognosis."
Instead of evading the subject, the authors recommend that oncologists receive coaching on how to inform patients without taking away hope.
In a related editorial, Dr. Daniel F. Munday at Myton Hamlet Hospice in Warwick and Dr. E. Jane Maher at Mount Vernon Hospital in Middlesex urge researchers to investigate the dynamics of end-of-life consultations and to develop "decision aids" to help patients fully understand and interpret the information they are given.
SOURCE: BMJ Online First, August 1, 2008.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL15576720080801 本人已认领该文编译，48小时后若未提交译文，请其他战友自由认领。 Terminal cancer patients not given chemo info
晚期癌症患者未获知化疗信息
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Patients with incurable cancer are often not clearly informed of what they stand to gain from palliative chemotherapy, according to the study results published in BMJ Online First. As a result, British investigators say, patients may lack sufficient knowledge make a decision based on informed consent.
纽约（路透社健康版）-根据英国医学杂志（BMJ）网站上第一时间公布的研究结果，患有无法治愈癌症的病人通常并不会清楚的获知他们将接受什么样的姑息化疗。因为，英国研究者们指出，病人可能缺乏足够的知识来根据知情同意书作出决定。
Palliative chemotherapy is not intended to cure patients of cancer, only to make their lives more tolerable. Nonetheless, this treatment may slightly improve survival.
姑息化疗目的并不是为了治愈患者所患的癌症，仅仅是为了让他们获得更好的生活质量。虽然如此，但是，这种治疗也可能轻微的改善生存率。
Dr. Suzanne Audrey, at the University of Bristol, and colleagues observed and recorded 9 oncologists and 37 patients during consultations in which palliative chemotherapy for advanced lung, pancreas, or colon cancer was first discussed.
英国布里斯托尔大学的Suzane Audrey医生和她的同事们观察并记录了9名肿瘤学专家和37名患者在就诊时对晚期肺癌、胰腺癌或者结肠癌首先讨论何种姑息性化疗。
In all cases, patients were informed that their cancer could not be cured, and the purpose of palliative chemotherapy was explained. They were also informed about treatment options, common side effects and associated risks.
所有患者被告知他们的癌症可能无法治愈，而姑息性化疗的目的没有得到解释。他们还被告知治疗的选择、常见的副作用以及相关的风险。
In 8 cases, survival was not discussed at all. In 18 cases, information was "vague," involving comments such as "about 4 weeks, a few months extra, and buy you some time." Only 6 patients were given numerical data about how much longer they would probably live if palliative chemotherapy were used.
其中8名患者没有讨论生存率的问题。18名患者被告知的有些“含糊”，包括医生这样的解释如“大约4周、几个月以及赢取一些时间等”。仅有6名患者获知了关于如果接受姑息化疗可能生存多长时间等详细资料。
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作者:admin@医学,生命科学 2011-05-07 17:14
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