FEELINGS ABOUT RADIOTHERAPY: THE BRAZILIAN CANCER PATIENTS’ PERSPECTIVE

Introduction: Radiotherapy is a common type of cancer treatment, though patients’ feelings about radiotherapy have not been well-studied in Brazil. Objective: The objective of this study was to understand feelings about radiotherapy among cancer patients who had or will complete radiotherapy. Methods: From April to June 2021, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted by a Brazilian cancer patient advocacy organization. Data analysis assessed feelings about radiotherapy based on the type of health system used (public or private). Results: A total of 841 responses were analyzed. A majority (93%, 653/700) were female, active (32%, 272/841) or former (68%, 569/841) cancer patients. Most self-identified as white (71%, 492/694) or black (26%, 178/694). The average age was 46. Respondents accessed health services through private (66%, 551/841) or public (34%, 290/841) systems. Nearly all (95%, 800/841) had completed their radiation treatment, though a few (5%, 41/841) were undergoing treatment at the time of the survey. Before beginning radiotherapy, 89% (258/290) of public users were confident their radiotherapy was important to control their disease and 87% (251/290) were hopeful that it could cure their cancer. Similar sentiments were seen among private users (80%, 470/591; 86% 509/591, respectively). Public users were more nervous about side effects (50%, 146/290), felt more unsure because they had many doubts (40%, 117/290), and were more worried because they believed radiotherapy was needed only for severe cases (32%, 94/290) than private users (38%, 210/551;27%, 148/551; 24%, 132/551, respectively). After radiotherapy began, public and private users reported their sentiments changed because they realized their side effects were manageable (45%, 130/290; 41%, 227/551), shared their worries with their health team (36%, 105/290; 34%, 186/551), exchanged information with other patients (40%, 116/290; 25%, 135/551), and/or noticed an improvement in their disease because of radiotherapy (24%, 71/290; 15%, 82/551). Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that cancer patients have mixed feelings about starting radiotherapy, potentially from a lack of quality information about the treatment. Public users experienced more negative feelings than private health users, which could impact treatment adherence and quality of life. After beginning radiotherapy, respondents engaged with their health team and peers, suggesting a need for further support at this time.