Abstract

Objective: The information needs of advanced cervical cancer patients have not been thoroughly researched. Our goal was to identify major drivers and impediments to information seeking, as well as the optimum methods of information delivery and how this knowledge improves the patient's treatment experience.

Methods: A qualitative research was conducted among multinational cohorts to assess the information requirements of adult patients with chronic, recurring, or metastatic cervical cancer. Within two years of receiving a cancer diagnosis, semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals from various demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds. To discover themes that emerged from the data, NVivo qualitative analysis software was employed.

Results: In 2021, we conducted 98 patient interviews, including 25 from Brazil, 25 from China, 20 from Germany, and 28 from the United States (US), with a mean age ranging from 38.6 to 54.2 years. The two main factors for people to look for cervical cancer information were knowing prognosis and learning about available treatments. Patients felt more knowledgeable and confident in their care as a result of this information. Due to their authority and capacity to solely disseminate information relevant to the patient's particular cancer stage and kind, doctors were the preferred source of information. The main obstacles to seeking information were locating reliable sources, feeling overloaded with unfavourable information, and comprehending the material's content and significance to their diagnosis.

Conclusions: There is an unmet demand for easily accessible, trustworthy, definable, stage-specific information on advanced cervical cancer. Giving patients access to this knowledge may result in a more positive treatment outcome.