Knowledge, satisfaction with information, decisional conflict and psychological morbidity amongst women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

OBJECTIVE: To assess knowledge, satisfaction with information, decisional conflict and psychological morbidity amongst women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and to explore the factors associated with less knowledge and greater confusion about DCIS.

METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of women diagnosed with DCIS in Australia (N=144).

RESULTS: This study found misunderstanding and confusion amongst women diagnosed with DCIS and a desire for more information about their breast disease. Approximately half of participants worried about their breast disease metastasizing; approximately half expressed high decisional conflict; 12% were anxious and 2% were depressed. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that worry about dying from the breast disease was significantly associated with not knowing that DCIS could not metastasize (OR 3.9; 95% CI 1.03-14.25); and confusion about whether DCIS could metastasize was significantly associated with dissatisfaction with information (OR 12.5; 95% CI 3.8-40.2).

CONCLUSION: Good communication about how DCIS differs from invasive breast cancer is essential to alleviating the confusion and worry amongst women with DCIS.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Recommendations about how best to communicate a diagnosis of DCIS, including the uncertainties, are needed to guide health professionals to promote better understanding about DCIS and increase the well-being of women with DCIS.