[Expectations of patients with ovarian cancer. Results of the European investigation EXPRESSION III in French patients from GINECO group]

Abstract

EXPRESSION III was designed to evaluate the information, needs and expectations of patients with ovarian cancer in different European countries. This abstract focuses on specific results from French OC patients. Two hundred and fifty-seven patients filled a 27-item questionnaire during a medical visit. Median age range was 63 years (26-89). Nearly all the patients (94 %) had primary surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy (95 %), 50 % had recurrent disease. At the time of the survey, 85 % reported symptoms: fatigue: 88 %, neuropathy: 55 %, nausea/vomiting: 40 %, pain: 39 %. Patients wished for non-alopeciant treatment (52 %) and a better management of fatigue (42 %). Eighty percent of the patients knew their chemotherapy but 60 % ignored their initial disease stage and how to find more information for treatment choice (91 %). Most patients (92 %) preferred to get it directly from their physician. Sixty-six percent expressed the need for clear information about their life expectancy. Still 21 % patients did not want to get negative information. French patients need for more support and clearer information on their disease. Direct information from their physician remains the mainstay of communication.

Keywords: Cancer de l’ovaire; Ovarian cancer; Physician-patient relationship; Quality of life; Qualité de vie; Relation médecin-malade.