Future Saudi doctors and cancer patients agree cancer patients should be informed about their cancer.

AIM

To compare attitudes of Saudi medical students and Saudi cancer patients towards disclosure of cancer information and to examine whether differences exist between students and patients, level of education or gender and region of residence.

METHODS

Data were collected from 384 students and 368 patients using a nine-question questionnaire on attitudes to cancer.

RESULTS

Almost all patients (98%) wanted to receive all the information should they get cancer compared with 93% of students (P = 0.001) and almost no patients and students wanted the information hidden (99 vs 98%, P = 0.273). If they became ill students were more likely to share information with their family and friends than patients. Fewer than 2% of patients did not want to know the benefits of chemotherapy compared to 3% of students, while 99% of patients wanted to know the side-effects compared to 93% of students (P = 0.095 and P = 0.001, respectively). Almost all patients and students (99 vs 98%) would refuse treatment without knowing their diagnosis (P = 0.401). Patients wanted to know the prognosis more than students (98 vs 92%; P = 0.001). In all, 99% of male students wanted their cancer diagnosis disclosed compared with women (98%; P = 0.615). Gender, education level, regions and age did not affect the desire of cancer patients to know their prognosis (P = 0.275, P = 0.664, P = 0.0314 and P = 0.164, respectively).

CONCLUSION

There was a consensus among cancer patients and medical students that cancer information, including diagnosis, treatment effects and prognosis, should be disclosed to patients.