SynthesisCurrent treatment options in oncology2020
The Effect of Prognostic Communication on Patient Outcomes in Palliative Cancer Care: a Systematic Review.
Synthesis in Current treatment options in oncology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
42 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Improving communication of prognostic uncertainty in advanced illness: a realist review.BMJ open · 2026Pooled it
- Prognostic understanding interventions in patients with advanced cancer: a systematic review.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Potential Adverse Outcomes of Shared Decision Making about Palliative Cancer Treatment: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Trial.Medical decision making : an international journal of the Society for Medical Decision Making · 2024Trial
- A Perspective on Integrative Oncology in India: Survival Conversations, Multidisciplinary Collaboration, and Healing Environments.Integrative medicine (Encinitas, Calif.) · 2026Review
- Article
- Generative AI-Assisted Simulation Training Is Associated with Higher Post-Intervention Diagnostic Communication Scores Across Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity, and Breast Cancer Scenarios.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Bibliometric analysis of oncology communication from 1976 to 2025: a focus on narrative medicine.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Review
- Prognostic communication preferences of cancer patients: A hybrid concept analysis.International journal of nursing sciences · 2026Article
- Experiences of bereaved family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease regarding do-not-resuscitate orders: A qualitative study.Palliative & supportive care · 2026Article
- Article
- Gut microbiome in sepsis: from dysbiotic biomarker to precision and palliative decision-making.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Domains of prognostic awareness, quality of life, and psychological distress in patients with advanced cancer.The oncologist · 2025Article
- Development and validation of a prognostic model incorporating patient reported outcomes for advanced gastric and esophageal carcinoma (AGOC) using individual patient data from two AGITG randomized clinical trials.Gastric cancer : official journal of the International Gastric Cancer Association and the Japanese Gastric Cancer Association · 2025Article
- Cancer patients' awareness of extent of disease: anxiety, depression, quality of life.BMJ supportive & palliative care · 2025Article
- Patient experience with cancer care in low- and middle-income Asian countries: a cross-sectional study of patients with advanced cancer.BMJ global health · 2025Article
- Accurate prognostic awareness is associated with increased emotional distress in Latino patients with advanced cancer.Palliative & supportive care · 2025Article
- Adaptation of the quality of oncology nursing care scale for patients undergoing cancer treatment in South Korea.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Multidisciplinary clinician perceptions on utility of a machine learning tool (ALERT) to predict 6-month mortality and improve end-of-life outcomes for advanced cancer patients.Cancer medicine · 2025Article
- Article
- Having hard conversations: Advance care planning, serious illness conversations, and goals of care discussions with oncology patients.Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundWhile prognostic information is considered important for treatment decision-making, physicians struggle to communicate prognosis to advanced cancer patients. This systematic review aimed to offer up-to-date, evidence-based guidance on prognostic communication in palliative oncology.
methodsPubMed and PsycInfo were searched until September 2019 for literature on the association between prognostic disclosure (strategies) and patient outcomes in palliative cancer care, and its moderators. Methodological quality was reported.
resultsEighteen studies were included. Concerning prognostic disclosure, results revealed a positive association with patients' prognostic awareness. Findings showed no or positive associations between prognostic disclosure and the physician-patient relationship or the discussion of care preferences. Evidence for an association with the documentation of care preferences or physical outcomes was lacking. Findings on the emotional consequences of prognostic disclosure were multifaceted. Concerning disclosure strategies, affective communication seemingly reduced patients' physiological arousal and improved perceived physician's support. Affective and explicit communication showed no or beneficial effects on patients' psychological well-being and satisfaction. Communicating multiple survival scenarios improved prognostic understanding. Physicians displaying expertise, positivity and collaboration fostered hope. Evidence on demographic, clinical and personality factors moderating the effect of prognostic communication was weak.
conclusionIf preferred by patients, physicians could disclose prognosis using sensible strategies. The combination of explicit and affective communication, multiple survival scenarios and expert, positive, collaborative behaviour likely benefits most patients. Still, more evidence is needed, and tailoring communication to individual patients is warranted. IMPLICATIONS: Future research should examine the effect of prognostic communication on psychological well-being over time and treatment decision-making, and focus on individualising care.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.