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. 2025 Jul 22;17(7):e88540.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.88540. eCollection 2025 Jul.

Information Needs and Fear of Radiotherapy in Women With Breast Cancer

Apostolina Ouzouni  1 , Georgios A Plataniotis  2 , Antonio Capizzello  2 , Areti Gkantaifi  2 , Areti Tsaloglidou  3 , Antonios Galanos  4 , Maria Lavdaniti  3
Affiliations

Information Needs and Fear of Radiotherapy in Women With Breast Cancer

Apostolina Ouzouni et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Introduction: Radiotherapy constitutes a fundamental modality in breast cancer treatment; however, it is often accompanied by considerable patient fear, psychological distress, and unmet informational needs. Addressing these factors may enhance patient compliance and quality of care.

Methods: A longitudinal cohort study was conducted at two radiotherapy departments in Thessaloniki, Greece, from October 2022 to May 2023. A total of 216 breast cancer patients were enrolled and assigned to a control group (n = 98), receiving standard care, or an intervention group (n = 118), receiving an informational brochure detailing radiotherapy procedures. Validated Greek versions of the Questionnaire for Assessing Fear of Radiotherapy in Oncology Patients (QAFRT), the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI), the Information Styles Questionnaire (ISQ), and the Profile of Mood States Short Form (POMS-S) were administered at baseline and upon completion of radiotherapy.

Results: At baseline, groups were homogeneous in demographics and clinical characteristics, except for education level (P < 0.0005). Significant reductions in fear scores were observed in the intervention group across all QAFRT subscales (P < 0.0005), including fear of treatment effectiveness, illness during therapy, daily life disruption, and side effects. The intervention group also demonstrated significant improvements in psychological well-being, with reductions in tension, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion, and increased vigor on the POMS-S (P < 0.0005). Symptom burden, as assessed by MDASI, improved significantly across all domains in the intervention group (P < 0.0005). Furthermore, informational needs regarding disease and treatment were significantly reduced in the intervention group post-intervention (P = 0.001), while psychological informational needs remained unchanged.

Conclusion: Providing structured, written informational support prior to radiotherapy initiation significantly reduces fear, improves mood states, and alleviates symptom burden in breast cancer patients. These findings highlight the importance of tailored patient education in optimizing radiotherapy experiences and psychological outcomes.

Keywords: breast cancer; educational intervention; informational needs; patient fear; psychological distress; radiotherapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Informed consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. International Hellenic University Of Thessaloniki issued approval 14/1.11.2022. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Median percentage change from baseline of MDASI Questionnaire - Factor 1
MDASI: M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Median percentage change from baseline of MDASI Questionnaire - Factor 2
MDASI: M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Median percentage change from baseline of MDASI Questionnaire - Factor 3
MDASI: M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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