Does the announcement of cancer at the time of Non Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer diagnosis affect quality of life and adherence of patients? Data from the French prospective cohort VICAN

Abstract

The information provided at the time of diagnosis of Non Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC) is highly variable. Well-informed patient are more involved in shared decisions. The objective of our study was to assess the information perceived by the patient at the time of NMIBC diagnosis and its impact on quality of life. The VICAN french cohort involved a representative sample of 4174 cancer patients and 5 years survivors. Patients reported outcomes (PROs) were collected by phone and self-questionnaire. Among the 118 NMIBC patients, the term used to define the pathology at diagnosis was prospectively evaluated. The impact on quality of life (using SF-12, EORTC-QLQ-C30 and HAD scale) and on adherence to the care protocol (endoscopic monitoring) has been assessed. Only 26.8% of patients reported hearing the word «Cancer» at the time of NMIBC diagnosis. Conversely, 73.2% of them reported others terms, including « Tumor» (22%), «Polyp» (24%), and «Carcinoma» (17.1%). There was no difference in terms of physical, mental quality of life and anxiety, regardless of the term used. Adherence to the follow-up endoscopic protocol was better in the group of patients hearing the word "Cancer". Three quarters of patients treated for NMIBC did not integrate the concept of «Cancer» at the time of diagnosis. Quality of life and anxiety did not differ significantly depending on the term used at diagnosis. However, adherence to care protocol appears to be higher when using the word "Cancer". 3.