Perceptions of cisplatin-related toxicity among ovarian cancer patients and gynecologic oncologists

Background. We conducted a pilot study to evaluate issues related to chemot herapy-induced toxicities by eliciting assessments of toxicity from women w ith advanced stage ovarian cancer and gynecologic oncologists. Patients and methods. Fifteen ovarian cancer patients and ten gynecologic o ncologists completed the survey exercises. All patients surveyed had receiv ed at least six courses of a cisplatin-containing chemotherapy regimen. Results. For both patients and physicians, there was good face validity to the utility exercise as assessments of health states with cisplatin were (1 ) consistently associated with less favorable assessments than the health s tate with no toxicity and (2) neurotoxicity was viewed less favorably than either ototoxicity or nephrotoxicity. While the 15 patients as a group view ed health states with toxicity more favorably than physicians (P < 0.05 for each toxicity), patient assessments varied, depending on individual experi ences with cisplatin. Physician assessments of toxicity were most similar t o those obtained from patients who had not experienced cisplatin toxicity a nd were less favorable than those elicited from patients who had experience d any toxicity. Conclusions. In deciding upon therapeutic strategies, women with advanced s tage ovarian cancer and treating physicians markedly differ in their assess ment of the impact of specific toxicities on quality of life. (C) 1998 Acad emic Press.