Korean J Geriatr Gerontol.  2024 Apr;25(1):39-48. 10.15656/kjgg.2024.25.1.39.

Elder Voices in Oncology: Awareness of Cancer Treatment Choices and Conflicts in Decision Making

• Ryoo S
• Park DA
• Park JE
• Choi GH

• KMID: 2566333
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.15656/kjgg.2024.25.1.39

Abstract

Background
The disease burden of elderly patients with cancer is rapidly increasing, yet there is limited information on the values and preferences of elderly Korean patients with cancer regarding their treatment choices. This study aims to investigate the awareness of elderly patients with cancer and identify predictors of decision conflict regarding cancer treatment decisions.
Methods
The study participants included 200 elderly patients with cancer who were treated for lung, colon, and liver cancer. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews from August to October 2021. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, Fisher’s exact test, and stepwise multiple regression.
Results
The survey found that “doctor’s recommendation” (64.8%) was the most common reason for patients’ cancer treatment decisions. Most respondents (75.0%) preferred quality of life over length of life (25.0%) as a cancer treatment goal. Predictors of decision conflict included the self-care dimension of the EuroQol 5-dimension (EQ-5D) questionnaire, being the primary decision-maker for cancer treatment decisions, marital status, desire for end-of-life care, and visual analog scale scores. Lower treatment decision conflict scores were associated with having no problem with self-care, being the primary decision maker for cancer treatment, being unmarried, having a desire for end-of-life care, and having a higher quality of life.
Conclusion
This study found that older patients with cancer are most influenced by their doctor’s recommendations when making decisions and prefer improving quality of life as a cancer treatment goal. The most influential factor in treatment decision conflict was whether it interfered with self-care.

Keyword

Aged; Decision making; Neoplasms; Surveys and questionnaires