Division of Palliative Care and Geriatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Division of Hematology and Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Oncologist. 2021 Nov;26(11):e2090-e2093. doi: 10.1002/onco.13945. Epub 2021 Aug 28.
Immunotherapy is the first-line treatment for melanoma and lung cancer and brings new risks of immune-related adverse events. We aimed to describe patients' knowledge about risks, benefits, and goals of immunotherapy.
We conducted a cross-sectional study of patients with advanced melanoma or non-small cell lung cancer that used a 9-item knowledge survey and questions from the Prognosis and Treatment Perceptions Questionnaire.
We surveyed 105 participants (57 with melanoma, 48 with lung cancer) with median age 69 years (range 36-89). Participants' responses revealed knowledge deficits about immunotherapy mechanism of action and lack of awareness about the timing and severity of side effects. One third (34%; 36/105) of participants reported that the primary goal of their treatment is to cure their cancer.
Given the widespread use of immunotherapy, patients would benefit from educational tools so that they know what to expect regarding side effects and prognosis.
免疫疗法是治疗黑色素瘤和肺癌的一线疗法,会带来新的免疫相关不良反应风险。我们旨在描述患者对免疫疗法的风险、获益和目标的认知。
我们开展了一项横断面研究,纳入了晚期黑色素瘤或非小细胞肺癌患者,使用了 9 项知识调查问卷和预后和治疗认知问卷中的问题。
我们调查了 105 名参与者(57 名黑色素瘤患者,48 名肺癌患者),中位年龄为 69 岁(范围 36-89 岁)。参与者的回答显示,他们对免疫疗法作用机制的知识存在不足,并且对副作用的发生时间和严重程度缺乏认识。三分之一(34%;36/105)的参与者表示,他们治疗的主要目标是治愈癌症。
鉴于免疫疗法的广泛应用,患者需要教育工具,以便了解副作用和预后方面的预期。