Most patients with early-stage lung cancer experience treatment decision regret

Patients with early-stage lung cancer may experience regret about their treatment decisions, particularly if they undergo stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and have symptoms of depression, according to a study that suggests that these patients may not be receiving adequate support in making treatment decisions. Improved communication between patients and clinicians may help address this issue and provide patients with better decision-making support.

In this multicenter, prospective study, 211 patients with early-stage lung cancer who received SBRT (n = 128) or surgical resection (n = 83) had decision regret and depression were measured using the Decision Regret Scale (DRS) and Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) at 3, 6, and 12 months post-treatment.

At 3 months post-treatment, 34% of all patients included in the study had mild decision regret and 27% had severe decision regret, while 71% of patients who underwent SBRT and 46% of patients who had surgery experienced at least mild decision regret. DRS scores increased at 6 months and decreased at 12 months of follow-up.

Reference
Sullivan DR, Wisnivesky JP, Nugent SM, et al. Decision Regret among Patients with Early-stage Lung Cancer Undergoing Radiation Therapy or Surgical Resection. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2023;S0936-6555(23)00141-3. doi: 10.1016/j.clon.2023.03.015. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37031075.