First Contact with Cancer: Patients' Perceptions, Fears and Perspectives on the Treatment Process in Turkey

Objective : The number of cancer patients in the society is gradually increasing and cancer also brings psychological problems. Knowing the fears and concerns of the patient group in this difficult process, we should increase their compliance with the treatment process by empathising. Materials and Methods: The questionnaires were completed face-to-face all of newly diagnosed cancer patients in this study between February 2018-July 2018. Demographic data of the patients were recorded, and questionnaire data were collected about their fears at the time of diagnosis, reactions from the environment, from whom they learnt the diagnosis, whom they trusted the most, and which type of treatment they were afraid of. Results: Patients who learned their diagnosis coincidentally from other people were felt 12.8% more fear and more disturbance because of the reactions of the people around them than patients who learned from doctors (p= 0.00, p=0.028). Women were more afraid of leaving their families alone, while men were more afraid of death(p<0.05) Women trusted oncologists more than their husbands, while men trusted their wives more(p<0,01). Conclusion: We have observed that patients' feelings are different according to age and gender when they are diagnosed with cancer, and we think that approaching them knowing these will add positively to the treatment process of patients.