the Cancer Therapy Advisor take:

Patients from a patient decision aid (P-DA) trial reported increased knowledge and decision-making confidence compared to those with usual care alone, according to an article published online in the journal Cancer.

Patients with early-stage thyroid cancer at a Canadian tertiary/quaternary care center were contacted 15 to 23 months after randomization and radioactive iodine (RAI) decision-making to examine long-term outcomes.

Of the original 74 patients, 70 (95%) of them enrolled in follow-up at a mean of 17.1 months after randomization. 

Results showed patients who used P-DA reported being significantly more informed about the treatment choice, aware of their options, knowledgeable about treatment benefits, and knowledgeable about risks and side effects associated with treatment (P=0.008, P =0.009, P =0.020, and P=0.001, respectively).

No significant differences were observed between the two groups in regards to decision satisfaction (P=0.142), decision regret (P=0 .199), cancer-related worry (P=0 .645), mood (P=0.211), or physician trust (P=0.764).