Cancer patients don't get enough time to ask doctors questions

A cancer patient support group says people do not get enough time with doctors to ask questions about their illnesses and so they turn to unreliable sources of information.

The Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society said yesterday it interviewed 236 cancer patients and caregivers between September and November and found they only had an average of 13 minutes with a public hospital doctor or 24 minutes with a private hospital doctor.

More than half of the respondents said they could not clear all their doubts due to the limited time, and 77 had to look for information online instead.

"Faced with an unexpected diagnosis, apart from the information from their attending medical professionals cancer patients and caregivers received an average of 90 pieces of cancer-related information in the first three months of diagnosis," the society said.

"Among these, only 28 percent originated from medical professionals or healthcare agencies."

It added that nearly 60 percent of cancer patients said they have difficulties obtaining health information. Over half of the respondents also said they could not understand information provided by doctors and nurses.

"Meanwhile, eight in 10 respondents said they were unable to verify cancer-related information from online sources."

The survey also revealed the impact of insufficient health literacy on cancer patients.

Forty-eight percent of respondents had undergone unnecessary food restrictions, such as reducing intakes of beef, chicken or sugar based on advice from family, other patients and online sources.

The society added that 37 percent of patients felt unwell after acting on rumors, with 23 percent expressing regret for their actions.

"Facing an unexpected cancer diagnosis, patients and their caregivers are pressured to navigate a massive change in their lives," said Lam Ka-on, chairman of the society's Cancer Education subcommittee.

"Medical information is not easy to understand, and it becomes even more difficult under pressure.

"However, given that it is cancer it is crucial for patients and caregivers to obtain accurate information and take appropriate action. Each step can impact a patient's health condition, so you should be more alert."

Lam also said unnecessary food restrictions can cause malnutrition, making it even worse for cancer treatment.

The society suggested cancer patients should follow a doctor's recommendations and raise questions promptly during a consultation.

Apart from doctors patients can also seek help from medical-tuned social workers and cancer support programs at NGOs.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com