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. 2014 Sep;119(2):227-34.
doi: 10.1007/s11060-014-1487-1. Epub 2014 May 30.

Prognostic awareness and communication of prognostic information in malignant glioma: a systematic review

Eli L Diamond  1 , Geoffrey W Corner, Antonio De Rosa, William Breitbart, Allison J Applebaum
Affiliations

Prognostic awareness and communication of prognostic information in malignant glioma: a systematic review

Eli L Diamond et al. J Neurooncol. 2014 Sep.

Abstract

Malignant glioma (MG) is a devastating neurological disease with a uniformly poor prognosis and a clinical course characterized by progressive functional and cognitive impairment. A small body of literature addresses patients' and caregivers' prognostic awareness (PA), or understanding of prognosis in patients with cancer. Studies that examine PA and desire for prognostic information among patients with MG are limited. We sought to review the existing literature on PA and communication of prognostic information to patients with MG. Fourteen studies examining PA or experience and preferences regarding communication of prognostic information were included. The definition and measurement of PA across studies varied, and the prevalence of accurate PA ranged from 25 to 100 % of participants. There is likely a subset of patients who do not desire accurate prognostic information, although the patient and disease characteristics that predict this preference are currently unknown. This review suggests that patients with MG desire prognostic information communicated in a manner that preserves hope. Systematic investigation to define communication needs for prognostic information in the unique clinical setting of MG is needed.

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Conflict of interest statement

None of the authors have any conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Search strategy
The databases included were MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and PsycINFO (via OVID). For PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, both controlled vocabulary and text words were used in the development of the search strategies. The Web of Science database does not employ a controlled vocabulary, so it was searched using only text words. Filters were used to limit results to English, Spanish, and French, languages in which at least one of the authors is proficient. All search results were combined in a bibliographic management tool (EndNote) and duplicates were eliminated both electronically and manually. Articles were screened by title, abstract, and then full text. Four articles were identified outside of the systematic search.
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