Skip to main content

Table 3 Reasons for wanting limited or complete information about disease and treatment for patients with and without a preference to know prognosis

From: Characteristics of patients with advanced cancer preferring not to know prognosis: a multicenter survey study

Reasons

Cronbach’s alpha a

Patients preferring not to know 1-year mortality risk b

n = 161/524

mean ± SD

Patients preferring to know 1-year mortality risk

n = 363/524

mean ± SD

Reasons for wanting limited information

 Staying optimistic (CCCI, 1–5) c

.87

3.4 ± 1.1***

2.3 ± 1.1

 Avoiding frightful information (CCCI, 1–5) c

.89

2.5 ± 1.1***

1.8 ± 0.9

 Feeling unable to comprehend information (CCCI, 1–5) d

.85

1.9 ± 0.9*

1.7 ± 0.9

 Not wanting to be a burden to the physician (CCCI, 1–5) c

.89

1.6 ± 0.8

1.6 ± 0.9

Reasons for wanting complete information

 Gaining a sense of control (CCCI, 1–5) e

.86

3.4 ± 1.1

4.2 ± 0.9***

 Meeting expectations of others (CCCI, 1–5) f

.79

2.1 ± 1.1

2.4 ± 1.3**

 Reducing anxiety (CCCI, 1–5) e

.85

2.5 ± 1.1

2.9 ± 1.3***

 Gaining autonomy (CCCI, 1–5) f

.71

2.6 ± 1.0

3.1 ± 1.1***

  1. a Interpretation: < 0.50 unacceptable, 0.50–0.60 poor, 0.60–0.70 questionable, 0.70–0.80 acceptable, 0.80–0.90 good, 0.90–1.00 excellent
  2. b Patients preferring not to know agreed more strongly with reasons for wanting complete information than with reasons for wanting limited information (MD = .33; p = .001)
  3. c n = 522/524 (2 missing)
  4. d n = 521/524 (3 missing)
  5. e n = 518/524 (6 missing)
  6. f n = 517/524 (7 missing)
  7. * Significant at p < .05. ** Significant at p < .01. *** Significant at p < .001
  8. SD Standard deviation, CCCI Considerations Concerning Cancer Information Questionnaire, MD Mean difference
Back to article page

BMC Cancer

ISSN: 1471-2407

Contact us