Communicating a Cancer Diagnosis: Current Methods and Their Effects

This study will investigate how patients are informed of their cancer diagnosis or recurrence and will explore their experience in learning about the diagnosis. Specifically, it will:

• Distinguish methods of telling the diagnosis and identify its relationship to the type of cancer.
• Determine if the way a patient is informed of their diagnosis is associated with their level of satisfaction with the method of being informed.
• Identify who informs the patient of their diagnosis..
• Determine patient satisfaction with their diagnostic consult.
• Identify indicators of satisfaction with the diagnostic consultation.

Patients 18 years of age or older who are enrolled in or being screened for enrollment in a phase I, II or III clinical trial in the National Cancer Institute's Medical Oncology, Metabolism, Surgery or Neuro-Oncology branch may be eligible for this study.

Participants complete a 15-minute questionnaire that includes questions related to the how they were informed of their cancer diagnosis.