Feelings, perceptions, and expectations of patients during the process of oral cancer diagnosis

Abstract

Purpose: Communication barriers during the process of cancer diagnosis can adversely affect how patients understand their health, and understanding patient’s perceptions and expectations can favor adherence to professional recommendations and their prognosis. This study aimed to describe the sociodemographic characteristics, perceptions, expectations, and psychological symptoms of patients during the process of oral cancer diagnosis. Methods: Patients were assessed at two time points: pre-biopsy (T0) and post-diagnosis (T1). At T0, 49 patients answered a sociodemographic, perceived social support, lifestyle questionnaire and inventories (anxiety—State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S/T), depression—Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), risk drinkers—Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)). They also were interviewed concerning their perceptions, feelings, and expectations. At T1, the 29 patients diagnosed with oral cancer were reassessed for anxiety (STAI-E) and depression symptoms. An interview investigated the same aspects at T0. Results: Patient mean age was 59 years old (±13.7) and 73.5 % were men. At T0, depression symptoms were more frequent among cancer patients (83.3 %) than those without the disease (p < 0.05), with a prevalence of 36.7 %. Patients presented anxiety (40.8 %) and alcohol abuse behavior (32.6 %). Associations between characteristics and categories at T0 showed that patients with lower income and living with a partner reported negative feelings (p < 0.05) more frequently, together with negative expectations concerning the diagnosis among older patients (p < 0.05) and those with depressive symptoms (p < 0.05). At T1, negative feelings were more frequently reported among patients with anxiety (p < 0.01) and depression symptoms (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Professional support and care regarding the psychological aspects and characteristics of patients is required during the diagnosis process in order to promote patient adhesion and favorable prognosis.