Diagnosis Disclosure Preferences of Cancer Patients in Egypt: A Multi-Institutional Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Although diagnosis disclosure to cancer patients has important roles in cancer care, it is not a routine practice in countries like Egypt. Respecting patients' autonomy and responding to their preferences are among the factors that should guide the practice of cancer diagnosis disclosure. OBJECTIVES: To assess the preferences of Egyptian cancer patients regarding the disclosure of cancer diagnosis and to determine factors that may affect their preferences. METHODS: The study included 295 patients aware of their cancer diagnosis from 3 cancer care facilities in Egypt. Patients were asked if they would have preferred to be informed of the diagnosis or not, whom they would have preferred to receive the diagnosis information from, and if they would have preferred to tell their families or not. RESULTS: The vast majority (91%) of the included patients preferred to be informed about their diagnosis, 59% preferred to disclose the diagnosis to their families and 66% preferred to receive the diagnosis information from a physician. In univariate analysis, male gender, higher education level and employment were significantly associated with the preference for disclosure. None of the studied variables associated significantly with the preferences in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: The majority of Egyptian cancer patients in our study preferred to be informed about their diagnosis, which should be respected. The results may help in changing the diagnosis disclosure practice of health care professionals and refuting the misconception of family caregivers about cancer diagnosis disclosure in Egypt and countries with similar culture.

Bilateral uterine artery ligation via minilaparotomy for heavy menstrual bleeding.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety and short-term efficacy of bilateral uterine artery ligation (UAL) via minilaparotomy for the management of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB). METHODS: A prospective study of 30 women with HMB who underwent UAL. The primary outcome was cumulative treatment failure 12 months after the procedure. Treatment failure was defined as the need for hysterectomy during the follow-up period. RESULTS: At 12 months, 6 women had undergone hysterectomy for bleeding, for a cumulative failure rate of 20% (95% CI, 9%-38%). The number of bleeding days was significantly reduced by 11.9+/-1.5 days (P<0.001) and hemoglobin level significantly increased by 1.3+/-0.15 g/dL (P<0.001). Of the 30 women, 24 (80%) were satisfied with the results. No major complications were reported during the procedure or median follow-up period of 13.2 months. CONCLUSION: Bilateral UAL is a safe and effective minimally invasive procedure that can provide an alternative treatment for HMB.