Small doses of cancer treatment information 'more effective'

When information about cancer treatment options is given in small doses, the patient is more likely to make a sensible decision, research has suggested.

A study from the University of Michigan investigated the cancer treatment choices of women with breast cancer, and found that those who were presented with the information in small doses, rather than all at once, made smarter choices.

Brian Zikmund-Fisher said: "What that tells me is that it doesn't take very much information to be too much, especially with patients who have trouble with numbers.

"When we try to provide patients with full and complete information, we often end up overwhelming them."

In other news, the minimization of chemoradiation side effects could improve the survival of brain cancer patients, according to a study published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Glioma patients who did not have early side effects of the treatment were seen to live an average of four months longer than those who did.

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Posted in: Health