Prognostic communication in cancer: A critical interpretive synthesis of the literature

European Journal of Oncology Nursing

Volumn 19, Issue 5, 2015, Pages 554-567

  Johnson, Matthew ^a   Tod, Angela Mary ^b   Brummell, Stephen ^c   Collins, Karen ^c  

^a ROYAL BROMPTON AND HAREFIELD NHS FOUNDATION TRUST   (United Kingdom)

^b UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER   (United Kingdom)

^c SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Cancer; Communication; Information; Prognosis; Recurrence risk

Indexed keywords

AGED; ATTITUDE TO HEALTH; COMPARATIVE STUDY; DISEASE COURSE; EPIDEMIOLOGY; FEMALE; GREAT BRITAIN; HUMAN; INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION; MALE; MEDICAL INFORMATICS; MEDICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM; MIDDLE AGED; NEOPLASM; ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT; PATHOPHYSIOLOGY; PATIENT PREFERENCE; PROGNOSIS; PSYCHOLOGY; RISK ASSESSMENT; STATISTICS AND NUMERICAL DATA; TUMOR RECURRENCE;

AGED; COMMUNICATION; DISEASE PROGRESSION; FEMALE; GREAT BRITAIN; HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE; HEALTH KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, PRACTICE; HUMANS; MALE; MEDICAL INFORMATICS; MIDDLE AGED; NEOPLASM RECURRENCE, LOCAL; NEOPLASMS; PATIENT PREFERENCE; PROGNOSIS; RISK ASSESSMENT;

EID: 84943200847     PISSN: 14623889     EISSN: 15322122     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejon.2015.03.001     Document Type: Review

References (52)

1. Alexander S.C., Sullivan A.M., Back A.L., Tulsky J.A., Goldman R.E., Block S.D., et al. Information giving and receiving in hematological malignancy consultations. Psycho-oncology 2012, 21(3):297-306.
2. Aveyard H. Doing a Literature Review in Health and Social Care: a Practical Guide 2010, Open University Press, Maidenhead. second ed.
3. Babrow A.S. Uncertainty, value, communication and problematic integration. Journal of Communication 2001, 51:553-573.
4. Booth A., Fry-Smith A. e-text on Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Information Resources 2003, (Chapter 2): Developing the research question, National Library of Medicine, Available from:, (accessed 21.08.14.). http://www.nlm.nih.gov/archive/20060905/nichsr/ehta/chapter2.html.
5. Boynton P., Greenhalgh T. Selecting, designing and developing your questionnaire. British Medical Journal [Online] 2004, 328(7451):1312-1315. Available from:, (accessed 20.08.14.). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC420179/pdf/bmj32801312.pdf.
6. CASP Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Qualitative Checklist: 10 Questions to Help You Make Sense of Qualitative Research 2013, Available from:, (accessed 10.06.14.). http://media.wix.com/ugd/dded87_951541699e9edc71ce66c9bac4734c69.pdf.
7. Cassileth B.R., Zupkis R.V., Sutton-Smith K., March V. Information and participation preferences among cancer patients. Annals of Internal Medicine 1980, 92:832-836.
8. Cox A., Jenkins V., Catt S., Langridge C., Fallowfield L. Information needs and experiences: an audit of UK cancer patients. European Journal of Oncology Nursing 2006, 10:263-272.
9. Curtis J.R., Engelberg R., Young J.P., Vig L.K., Reinke L.F., Wenrich M.D., et al. An approach to understanding the interaction of hope and desire for explicit prognostic information among individuals with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or advanced cancer. Journal of Palliative Medicine 2008, 11:610-620.
10. Dixon-Woods M., Bonas S., Booth A., Jones D.R., Miller T., Shaw R.L., et al. How can systematic reviews incorporate qualitative research? A critical perspective. Qualitative Research 2006, 6:27-44.
11. Dixon-Woods M., Cavers D., Agarwal S., Annandale E., Arthur A., Harvey J., et al. Conducting a critical interpretive synthesis of the literature on access to healthcare by vulnerable groups. BMC Medical Research Methodology 2006, 6(35). Available from:, (accessed 06.05.14.). http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/890/art%253A10.1186%252F1471-2288-6-35.pdf?auth66=1399555423_5962b3bf135335f0d33069863cea0591%26ext=pdf.
12. Dixon-Woods M., Sutton A., Sutton R., Miller T., Smith J., Young B., et al. Appraising qualitative research for inclusion in systematic reviews: a quantitative and qualitative comparison of three methods. Journal of Health Services Research and Policy 2007, 12:42-47.
13. Engelhardt G., Garvelink M., de Haes J.C.J.M., van der Hoeven J.M., Smets M.A., Pieterse H., et al. Predicting and communicating the risk of recurrence and death in women with early-stage breast cancer: a systematic review of risk prediction models. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2014, 32:238-251.
14. Flemming K. Synthesis of quantitative and qualitative research: an example using Critical Interpretive Synthesis. Journal of Advanced Nursing 2010, 66:201-217.
15. Franssen S.J., Lagarde S.M., van Werven J.R., Smets E.M., Tran K.T., Plukker J.T., et al. Psychological factors and preferences for communicating prognosis in esophageal cancer patients. Psycho-oncology 2009, 18:1199-1207.
16. Friis L.S., Elverdam B., Schmidt K.G. The patient's perspective: a qualitative study of acute myeloid leukaemia patients' need for information and their information-seeking behaviour. Supportive Care in Cancer 2003, 11:162-170.
17. Glenton C., Colvin C.J., Carlsen B., Swartz A., Lewin S., Noyes J., et al. Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of lay health worker programmes to improve access to maternal and child health: qualitative evidence synthesis (Review). The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2013, 10. Available from:, (accessed 27.07.14.). http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010414.pub2/abstract.
18. Goldman R.E., Sullivan A., Back A.L., Alexander S.C., Matsuyama R.K., Lee S.J. Patients' reflections on communication in the second-opinion hematology-oncology consultation. Patient Education & Counseling 2009, 76:44-50.
19. Grant M.J., Booth A. A typology of reviews: an analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Information & Libraries Journal 2009, 26:91-108.
20. Hagerty R.G., Butow P.N., Ellis P.A., Lobb E.A., Pendlebury S., Leighl N., et al. Cancer patient preferences for communication of prognosis in the metastatic setting. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2004, 22:1721-1730.
21. Hagerty R.G., Butow P.N., Ellis P.M., Dimitry S., Tattersall M.H.N. Communicating prognosis in cancer care: a systematic review of the literature. Annals of Oncology 2005, 16:1005-1053.
22. Hagerty R.G., Butow P.N., Ellis P.M., Lobb E.A., Pendlebury S.C., Leighl N., et al. Communicating with realism and hope: incurable cancer patients' views on the disclosure of prognosis. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2005, 23:1278-1288.
23. Jansen J., Butow P.N., van Weert J.C., van Dulmen S., Devine R.J., Heeren T.J., et al. Does age really matter? Recall of information presented to newly referred patients with cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2008, 26:5450-5457.
24. Jenkins V., Fallowfield L., Saul J. Information needs of patients with cancer: results of a large study in UK cancer centres. British Journal of Cancer 2001, 84:48-51.
25. Kelly M., Ajmera M., Bhattacharjee S., Vohra R., Hobbs G., Chaudhary L., et al. Perception of cancer recurrence risk: more information is better. Patient Education and Counseling 2013, 90:361-366.
26. Lagarde S.M., Franssen S.J., van Werven J.R., Smets E.M., Tran T.C., Tilanus H.W., et al. Patient preferences for the disclosure of prognosis after esophagectomy for cancer with curative intent. Annals of Surgical Oncology 2008, 15:3289-3298.
27. Leventhal H., Kelly K.M., Leventhal E. Population risk, actual risk, perceived risk and cancer control: a discussion. Journal of the National Cancer Institute Monographs 1999, 25:81-85.
28. Leydon G.M. 'Yours is potentially serious but most of these are cured': optimistic communication in UK outpatient oncology consultations. Psycho-oncology 2008, 17:1081-1088.
29. Liu P., Landrum M.B., Weeks C., Huskamp A., Kahn L., et al. Physicians' propensity to discuss prognosis is associated with patients' awareness of prognosis for metastatic cancers. Journal of Palliative Medicine 2014, 17:673-683.
30. Lobb E.A., Halkett G.K., Nowak A.K. Patient and caregiver perceptions of communication of prognosis in high grade glioma. Journal of Neuro-Oncology 2011, 104:315-322.
31. Mays N., Pope C., Popay J. Systematically reviewing qualitative and quantitative evidence to inform management and policy-making in the health field. Journal of Health Services Research and Policy 2005, 10(Suppl. 1):6-20.
32. Mendick N., Young B., Holcombe C., Salmon P. Telling "everything" but not "too much": the surgeon's dilemma in consultations about breast cancer. World Journal of Surgery 2011, 35:2187-2195.
33. Mendick N., Young B., Holcombe C., Salmon P. The 'information spectrum': a qualitative study of how breast cancer surgeons give information and of how their patients experience it. Psycho-oncology 2013, 22:2364-2371.
34. Mitchison D., Butow P., Sze M., Aldridge L., Hui R., Vardy J., et al. Prognostic communication preferences of migrant patients and their relatives. Psycho-oncology 2012, 21:496-504.
35. Noblit G.W., Hare R.D. Meta-ethnography: Synthesizing Qualitative Studies 1988, SAGE, Newbury Park, California.
36. O'Brien M.A., Whelan T.J., Villasis-Keever M., Gafni A., Charles C., Roberts R., et al. Are cancer-related decision aids effective? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2009, 27:974-985.
37. Pope C., Mays N., Popay J. Synthesizing Qualitative and Quantitative Health Evidence. A Guide to Methods 2007, Open University Press, Maidenhead.
38. Quirt C.F., Mackillop W.J., Ginsburg A.D., Sheldon L., Brundage M., Dixon P., et al. Do doctors know when their patients don't?: a survey of doctor-patient communication in lung cancer. Lung Cancer 1997, 18:1-20.
39. Rabin B.A., Gaglio B., Sanders T., Nekhlyudov L., Dearing J.W., Bull S., et al. Predicting cancer prognosis using interactive online tools: a systematic review and implications for cancer care providers. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention 2013, 22:1645-1656.
40. Robinson T.M., Alexander S.C., Hays M., Jeffreys A.S., Olsen M.K., Rodriguez K.L., et al. Patient-oncologist communication in advanced cancer: predictors of patient perception of prognosis. Supportive Care in Cancer 2008, 16:1049-1057.
41. Rodriguez K.L., Gambino F.J., Butow P.N., Hagerty R.G., Arnold R.M. 'It's going to shorten your life': framing of oncologist-patient communication about prognosis. Psycho-oncology 2008, 17:219-225.
42. Sell L., Devlin B., Bourke S.J., Munro N.C., Corris P.A., Gibson G.J. Communicating the diagnosis of lung cancer. Respiratory Medicine 1993, 87:61-63.
43. Simard S., Thewes B., Humphris G., Dixon M., Hayden C., Mireskandari S., et al. Fear of cancer recurrence in adult cancer survivors: a systematic review of quantitative studies. Journal of Cancer Survivorship 2013, 7:300-322.
44. Step M.M., Ray E.B. Patient perceptions of oncologist-patient communication about prognosis: changes from initial diagnosis to cancer recurrence. Health Communication 2011, 26:48-58.
45. The A.M., Hak T., Koëter G., van der Wal G. Collusion in doctor-patient communication about imminent death: an ethnographic study. British Medical Journal 2000, 321(7273):1376-1381.
46. Thorne S., Hislop T.G., Kuo M., Armstrong E.A. Hope and probability: patient perspectives of the meaning of numerical information in cancer communication. Qualitative Health Research 2006, 16:318-336.
47. Thorne S., Oglov V., Armstrong E.A., Hislop T.G. Prognosticating futures and the human experience of hope. Palliative & Supportive Care 2007, 5:227-239.
48. Tong A., Flemming K., McInnes E., Oliver S., Craig J. Enhancing transparency in reporting the synthesis of qualitative research: ENTREQ. BMC Medical Research Methodology 2012, 12(181). Available from:, (accessed 10.12.14.). http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2288/12/181.
49. Tong A., Sainsbury P., Craig J. Consolidation criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ); a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. International Journal for Quality in Health Care 2007, 19:349-357.
50. Toye F., Seers K., Allcock N., Briggs M., Carr E., Andrews J., et al. 'Trying to pin down jelly' - exploring intuitive processes in quality assessment for meta-ethnography. BMC Medical Research Methodology 2013, 13(1). Available from:, (accessed 04.04.14.). http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2288/13/121.
51. Wagner J.Y., Wuensch A., Friess H., Berberat P.O. Surgeon-patient communication in oncology. European Journal of Cancer Care 2014, 23:585-594.
52. Weeks J.C., Cook E.F., O'Day S. Relationship between cancer patients' predictions of prognosis and their treatment preferences. Journal of the American Medical Association 1994, 279:1709-1714.