Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40936192›Full record

ArticlePalliative & supportive care2025

Prognostic discussions in patients with advanced lymphoma: Characteristics and challenges.

Meghan McDarby, Jaime Gilliland, Rinchen Dolma, Sarah C Rutherford, Peter Martin, Holly Prigerson, Kelly M McConnell

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Palliative & supportive care, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Meghan McDarbyDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9295-1812
Jaime GillilandDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
Rinchen DolmaDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
Sarah C RutherfordDepartment of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Peter MartinDepartment of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Holly PrigersonDepartment of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Kelly M McConnellDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.

Funding

X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHYP30CA008748 · NCI · SLOAN-KETTERING INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RES · PI Hongbiao Carl Lekaye · 1985 to 2026
$347.4M
Psychosocial Approaches to Better Understanding & End-Stage Cancer Care (PROTECT)R35CA197730 · NCI · WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV · PI Holly Gwen Prigerson · 2015 to 2026
$11.2M
Communicating the Gist of Prognosis: An intervention to improve prognostic understanding in advanced lymphomaR21MD017704 · NIMHD · SLOAN-KETTERING INST CAN RESEARCH · PI MCCONNELL, KELLY, PRIGERSON, HOLLY GWEN · 2022 to 2023
$466k
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA008748NCI NIH HHS R35 CA197730NIMHD NIH HHS R21 MD017704
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesPrognostic discussions are critical in the care of patients with advanced lymphoma, given the disease's complexity, rapidly evolving treatments, and shifting potential for cure. However, previous research has paid limited attention to how these discussions unfold from both patient and clinician perspectives, particularly in the context of early conversations. The current study sought to identify key experiences that inform improvements in clinician communication and patient understanding of prognosis for patients with advanced lymphoma.

methodsWe conducted a qualitative study from July 2023 to June 2024 with 19 patients diagnosed with advanced lymphoma and 3 oncologists. Semi-structured interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic content analysis, and emergent themes were identified through consensus among a trained coding team.

resultsTwo primary themes emerged. First, patients recalled early prognostic conversations as highly focused on curative intent. Second, oncologists cited incomplete diagnostic data and concerns about overwhelming patients as reasons for limiting early discussions, often delaying deeper prognostic conversations. Clinicians reported tension between maintaining patient hope and providing comprehensive information about disease trajectory and treatment uncertainty. SIGNIFICANCE OF

resultsFindings highlight a need for communication strategies that balance hope with realism in early prognostic discussions for patients with advanced lymphoma. Oncologists may benefit from structured, evidence-based guidance to manage information delivery over time, particularly in the face of diagnostic ambiguity. Future research should prioritize inclusive sampling and explore timing and content of ongoing prognostic discussions to better support informed decision-making and goal-concordant care.

Indexed as

CommunicationLymphomaAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedPhysician-Patient RelationsPrognosisQualitative Researchend-of-life discussionshematologic cancersleukemialymphomaprognostic discussionsprognostic understanding

Identifiers

PMID40936192
PMCPMC12491390

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

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.