Greater Anxiety Linked With Unmet Information Needs in Precancerous Oral Lesions

the Cancer Therapy Advisor take:

Greater anxiety levels were associated with high degrees of unmet information need in patients with precancerous oral lesions, according to an article published online in the European Journal of Cancer Care.

Participants in this study included 106 individuals seen at the otolaryngology outpatient department at a single medical center in central Taiwan for precancerous oral lesions. The patients completed structured questionnaires that aimed to measure their state anxiety levels, attitudes towards cancer prevention, and need for information.

Results showed the most common unmet information needs among the patients were about obtaining their test results promptly.

Furthermore, higher levels of unmet information needs were more common in patients with precancerous oral lesions who reported high levels of state anxiety, had a long duration of time since quitting betel nut chewing, and had no history of oral cancer.

Patients with unmet information needs were more likely to have higher levels of anxiety about precancerous lesions than those who had their information needs met.

The study suggests improvements be made in health education and individual counseling in order to satisfy information needs of patients.