Attitudes of non-oncology physicians dealing with cancer patients. A survey based on clinical scenarios in Ancona province, central Italy.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND

With this study we attempted to determine to what extent recent acquisitions in clinical oncology had reached categories of physicians involved in the management of patients with cancer, namely general surgeons, internists and family doctors.

METHODS

A questionnaire was prepared with scenarios based on the following clinical situations: Scenario A, Adjuvant therapy in colon cancer; Scenario B, Treatment of small-cell lung cancer; Scenario C, Adjuvant therapy in high-risk, node-negative breast cancer; Scenario D, Treatment of early stage breast cancer; Scenario E, Asymptomatic transient myelosuppression during chemotherapy. Questionnaires were mailed to 365 family doctors, 54 general surgeons and 61 internists of the Province of Ancona in central Italy.

RESULTS

A total of 198 completed questionnaires were returned (41%). Respondents were 36.7% of family doctors, 54.1% of internists and 57.4% of surgeons. Less than half of respondents selected an adequate approach such as adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer and high-risk, node-negative breast cancer or chemotherapy as first-line treatment for small-cell lung cancer. Conservative surgery plus radiotherapy (QUART) for early stage breast cancer was indicated by 69% of respondents. Over three quarters of physicians would give treatment for asymptomatic transient chemotherapy-induced leukopenia. In most of the scenarios, significant differences were detected in the distribution of preferences according to category of physicians. Family doctors and young physicians (< 40 years) generally performed worse than hospital-based physicians (general surgeons and internists) and older physicians.

CONCLUSIONS

Non-oncology physicians showed insufficient awareness of currently available knowledge in cancer treatment. Basic concepts in cancer management should be part of the professional knowledge of all medical doctors, and key advances in clinical oncology should spread outside the oncologic environment more promptly, with a wide circulation among all physicians who care for cancer patients.