Patients' opinions, feelings, and attitudes after a campaign to promote the Di Bella therapy

Background An emotional campaign promoting the Di Bella cancer therapy was launched by the Italian media in 1997. Its effects on patients' hopes, feel ings, and decisionmaking processes were largely unknown. We undertook an in vestigation of this issue. Methods Between Feb 25 and March 31, 1998,a ten-item. questionnaire was dis tributed to 1300 unselected adult patients attending 13 cancer-centres thro ughout Italy. Four expert psycho-oncologists reviewed the design and validi ty of the contents of the:questionnaire. Sociodemographic information was a lso collected. Findings 1120 (86%) questionnaires were-returned and analysed. The main sou rces of information were television/radio (62%) and newspapers (26%); only 5% cited doctors;,The campaign induced optimism in the patients about the e fficacy of the method (ineffective 1%, effective 42%, uncertain 57%), and 5 3% said their hope of cure was increased. However, 48% felt more confused. 24% do not discuss new treatments with their oncologists, and 20% would lik e to but cannot. When choosing a treatment, the advice of a trusted doctor was judged more important than scientific progress (53% vs 32%) and 63% wou ld try even unproven treatments in the hope of a cure. Replies to, many of the questions were influenced by patients' educational attainment and by th e degree of communication with their oncologists. Interpretation Science cannot prevent the harm caused by such campaigns and their psychological consequences, particularly for less educated patients. When making decisions, patients are looking for hope from the treatment tr ust in their doctor, both of which depend on effective doctor-patient commu nications that therefore need to be improved.