Quality of life needs to be a
guiding factor for oncologists in their choice of treatment for
cancer patients, according to surveys published by a cancer
foundation Thursday.
"Quality of life plays a decisive role in following
treatment," foundation 'Together against cancer' president
Francesco Cognetti said.
"Often patients interrupt treatment precisely because of
problems caused by the drugs. For this reason it is fundamental
to identify those drugs that give the same results but have
fewer side effects," he continued.
The survey highlighted a significant discrepancy between
the point of view of doctors and patients with respect to
treatment choices.
Some 90% of the 533 doctors surveyed by the foundation said
they involved their patients in the choice of therapy.
By contrast, only 46% of the 354 cancer patients surveyed
felt they had been genuinely involved in such choices.
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