Is patient participation in multidisciplinary tumour conferences associated with their information needs? A multicentre prospective observational study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the association between participation of patients with breast cancer and patients with gynaecological cancer in their own multidisciplinary tumour conference (MTC) and their information needs with regard to their disease and treatment options. METHODS: This is a prospective observational study that took place at six breast cancer and gynaecological cancer centres in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Patient inclusion criteria included a minimum age of 18 years and at least one diagnosis of breast cancer or gynaecological cancer. Three surveys were administered. T0 (shortly before MTC), T1 (directly after MTC) and T2 (4 weeks after MTC). Patient information needs were measured using two three-item subscales of the Cancer Patients Information Needs scale. Analysis of change was done by one-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). To control for sampling bias, a further one-way repeated measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) included a propensity score as a covariate. RESULTS: Data from 81 patients in the participation group and 120 patients in the non-participation group were analysed. The patient groups did not differ in their levels of information needs at T0 or T2. From T0 to T2, information needs increased statistically significantly in both groups with regard to both disease-related information (η²=0.354) and treatment-related information (η²=0.250). The increase in both types of information needs lost its statistical significance when the propensity score was included as a covariate. Neither ANOVA nor ANCOVA revealed a statistically significant association between patients' participation in the MTC and their self-reported information needs. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: As concerns patients' information needs, findings do not support a general recommendation for or against the participation of patients in their MTCs. Future research should focus on the different ways of patients' participation in their MTCs facilitated at different cancer centres. Further research should also aim to establish which patient and disease characteristics predispose patients to benefit from participating in their MTCs.

Is patient participation in multidisciplinary tumor conferences associated with their fear of progression?

PURPOSE: Previous studies found that some breast cancer patients in Germany are invited to participate in a multidisciplinary tumor conference (MTC) during the discussion of their own case. MTCs are regular meetings of a treatment team in which the diagnosis and treatment plan of cancer patients are discussed. Psychological consequences concerning the patients' participation in an MTC have not been examined yet. This study examines the association between patients' participation in MTC and patients' fear of progression (FoP). METHODS: This analysis is part of a larger project named "Patient participation in multidisciplinary tumor conferences in Breast Cancer Care" (PINTU) which is a multicenter observational mixed-methods study. The study was conducted in six breast and gynecological cancer centers in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Data were collected from 2018 to 2020 by patient survey at three time points. Patients with (n = 81) and without (n = 120) MTC participation were compared. FoP was measured with a 12-item short form of the FoP Questionnaire (FoP-Q-SF) at all three measurement time points. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, a one-way repeated variance analysis (ANOVA), and a one-way repeated ANCOVA using the propensity score as a covariate. RESULTS: Data of n = 201 patients were included in the analysis. In general, FoP scores decreased in both groups from T0 to T2 (F = 36.539, p < 0.001, η2  = 0.155). Non-participating patients did not differ with regard to their FoP from patients who participated in an MTC before and after participation. The results of AN(C)OVA revealed no significant effects concerning the influence of patient participation in an MTC on FoP (F = 0.014, p = 0.907, η2 = <0.001 and (F = 0.013, p = 0.909, η2 = <0.001). CONCLUSION: Since the FoP is not influenced by participation, the findings do not support recommendations for or against patient participation in an MTC. Further research should focus on the question of which patient groups might benefit from participation in an MTC with regard to which outcome variables.