Cancer patients: knowledge and attitudes.

Fifty patients undergoing treatment were interviewed on what they knew about radiotherapy and their attitudes towards their disease and those treating their disease. Ninety-four percent used the word "cancer" or "malignant tumor" to describe the reason for being treated. All patients were told their diagnosis by the physician who referred them for therapy. Nineteen patients remembered feeling frightened by the equipment at first, but all had a lessening of anxiety with time. All patients perceived the role of the radiation technologist as that of operating the treatment machine and spoke only about trivialities to them. Eighty percent felt that the radiotherapist gave them satisfactory information about their treatment before commencing treatment. In contrast, the referring physician was thought to have been of no help in preparing for the experience of undergoing radiotherapy by 52% of those interviewed. Eighty-two percent of the patients expressed the opinion that both the referring physician and therapist were not the people to whom they would bring emotional problems. Therefore, mental health professionals could make a major contribution in the total program if they were involved in the day to day care of patients receiving radiotherapy.