In the past, receiving a diagnosis of cancer was tantamount to being told one was going to die, and because it was feared that patients would not be able to cope with this knowledge, doctors frequently withheld information from patients about their diagnosis. With recent adcances than ever. However, a review of the literature appeatrs to indicate that patients still have knowledge deficits with regard to their diagnosis, treatment and its side ‐effects.A study of 30 patients receiving chemotherapy for cancer was undertaken to determine their knowledge about their diagnosis, Treatment and its side‐effects. The vast majority knew their diagnosis, the number of treatments involved and the purpose of their treatment. However, the patients in this study displayed a poor knowledge of the potential side‐effects of their chemotherapy and of the names of the drugs they were receiving as part of their chemoth
展开▼
