• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Friday, August 1, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News Cancer

Some primary care doctors not prepared to help with cancer treatment decisions

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
February 12, 2019
in Cancer
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

Up to one-third of primary care providers discussed breast cancer treatment options with patients but many report gaps in their knowledge

IMAGE

Credit: Michigan Medicine


ANN ARBOR, Michigan –The idea of team-based cancer care most often focuses on involving primary care physicians in the care of cancer survivors. But research has shown patients are discussing initial cancer treatment options with their primary care doctors.

And now a new study finds that a significant number of these physicians report notable gaps in their knowledge of cancer treatment options.

“Primary care physicians may be involved in cancer care earlier than we thought. If we are going to promote their involvement, we may need to start doing that earlier, around the time of initial treatment, and ensure PCPs have the information they need to effectively participate in the decision-making process,” says Lauren P. Wallner, Ph.D., MPH, a health services researcher at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center.

Wallner and colleagues from the Cancer Surveillance and Outcomes Research Team surveyed 517 primary care physicians who were linked to 1,077 women treated for early stage breast cancer. Physicians were asked whether they had discussed surgery, radiation or chemotherapy options with their patients. They were also asked how comfortable they were discussing these issues and whether they felt they had the knowledge to help with treatment decisions.

Researchers found that 34 percent of physicians had discussed surgery options with their patients, 23 percent had discussed radiation and 22 percent had discussed chemotherapy.

Physicians who reported more comfort with cancer treatment discussions were more likely to have these discussions. But, among those physicians who reported involvement in surgery decisions, 22 percent said they were not comfortable having that discussion and 17 percent said they did have the necessary knowledge. Similar findings played out for radiation and chemotherapy. Results are published in Cancer.

“We found that among those involved, some PCPs felt they did not have the knowledge necessary to participate in these treatment decisions. If they’re going to be involved, we need to find a way to make sure they have the knowledge to do so and we support them in a way that ensures they’re confident and able to do so,” says Wallner, an assistant professor of general medicine and epidemiology at U-M.

The study follows up on a 2016 paper that found one-third of breast cancer patients said they consulted their primary care doctor about treatment options.

“We were all quite surprised that many patients said PCPs were involved. This work stems from those findings. We wanted to understand what decisions providers were involved with and how they perceived their involvement,” Wallner says.

The study did not address what patients discussed or how detailed those discussions were. And as such, Wallner emphasizes that the nature of these conversations and how they influence treatment choices is not yet clear.

But, she says, helping patients better understand the risks and benefits of treatment options is a good thing. For patients who have a longstanding relationship with their primary care doctor, that physician may have a good grasp of the patient’s values and preferences and may be able to help the patient navigate these decisions.

“This is an emerging challenge for primary care providers,” Wallner says. “Inundating them with detailed information about all possible cancer treatments is not feasible. But these providers are likely to start becoming even more involved with the more prevalent cancers, such as breast or prostate cancer. They need to have sufficient resources and support to be prepared for these conversations.”

###

Additional authors: Yun Li, Ph.D.; Chandler McLeod, Ph.D., M.S.; Joan Gargaro, MPH, MBA; Allison W. Kurian, M.D., M.Sc.; Reshma Jagsi, M.D., D.Phil.; Archana Radhakrishnan, M.D., MHS; Ann S. Hamilton, Ph.D., M.A.; Kevin C. Ward, Ph.D., MPH, CTR; Sarah T. Hawley, Ph.D., MPH; Steven J. Katz, M.D., MPH

Funding: National Cancer Institute grants P01CA163233, K07 CA201052; Rogel Cancer Center

Disclosure: None

Reference: Cancer, doi: 10.1002/cncr.31998, published online Feb. 1, 2019

Resources:

University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, http://www.rogelcancercenter.org

Michigan Health Lab, http://www.MichiganHealthLab.org

Michigan Medicine Cancer AnswerLine, 800-865-1125

Media Contact
Nicole Fawcett
[email protected]
734-764-2220

Original Source

https://labblog.uofmhealth.org/industry-dx/some-primary-care-doctors-not-prepared-to-help-cancer-treatment-decisions

Related Journal Article

http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cncr.31998

Tags: Breast CancercancerDecision-making/Problem SolvingHealth ProfessionalsMedicine/Health
Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

Final Clinical Trial Results Published for Advanced Kidney Cancer Therapy

Final Clinical Trial Results Published for Advanced Kidney Cancer Therapy

August 1, 2025
New Study Uncovers Role of Mysterious Variants in Colon Cancer-Linked Gene

New Study Uncovers Role of Mysterious Variants in Colon Cancer-Linked Gene

August 1, 2025

Proteogenomic Study of Healthy vs. Cancerous Prostate Tissues Leveraging SILAC and Mutation Databases

July 31, 2025

CCNY Researchers Identify Possible Chemotherapy-Linked Cognitive Changes in Cancer Survivors

July 31, 2025
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • Blind to the Burn

    Overlooked Dangers: Debunking Common Myths About Skin Cancer Risk in the U.S.

    60 shares
    Share 24 Tweet 15
  • Dr. Miriam Merad Honored with French Knighthood for Groundbreaking Contributions to Science and Medicine

    46 shares
    Share 18 Tweet 12
  • Study Reveals Beta-HPV Directly Causes Skin Cancer in Immunocompromised Individuals

    37 shares
    Share 15 Tweet 9
  • Sustainability Accelerator Chooses 41 Promising Projects Poised for Rapid Scale-Up

    35 shares
    Share 14 Tweet 9

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

Final Clinical Trial Results Published for Advanced Kidney Cancer Therapy

Research Finds That Solar Plus Storage Can Help Most US Homes Save Money and Resiliently Endure Blackouts

Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Discovered in Malnourished Children Under Five

  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.