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Preferences for information and involvement in decisions during cancer care among a Hong Kong Chinese population

In order to assess differences that may exist between Western and Asian cancer patients' preferences for information on diagnosis, prognosis, treatment options and involvement in treatment decision‐making, a telephone survey of 2674 households explored the preferences for information among the general public in the event they had ‘a cancer‐like’ illness. Among these, 1136 people aged between 18–65 years of age were interviewed. Among respondents 95% indicated they would want a diagnosis, even if the news was bad. The same proportion also did not want their family only to be told while they were not so informed. Similarly, 97% of respondents desired a prognosis. While 90% of respondents wanted a discussion on treatment alternatives, 84% felt they should be an equal partner with their doctor, though only 60% wanted to be involved in the treatment decision‐making. Multiple regression revealed only age was consistently related to patient preferences, with older patients preferring information and involvement less frequently than younger patients. The patterns of preferences reported here are very similar to those reported in studies on Western populations.