Information and education across the phases of cancer care.

Providing information to the cancer patient, is important but it is only one facet of patient education. Cancer patients also need to be taught new skills and shown new ways to cope. Patients who are not only informed, but are also educated and have more knowledge about their disease, are more likely to cooperate with treatment regimens and experience less stress and anxiety. One approach to identifying the content of cancer patient education is to focus on the various phases of cancer care. This approach provides a way for the patient and family to learn those aspects that are critical to coping with and adapting to the impact of the disease and its treatment. A number of researchers have begun to build the knowledge base important in identifying the appropriate educational content, methods for teaching, and approaches to evaluating teaching effectiveness. Future studies will continue to provide the scientific foundation for this most important aspect of cancer care.