To explore patients’ perceptions of managing adverse events (AEs) from anticancer drugs for gynaecological cancer, focusing on AEs they want to avoid, views on dose adjustments and communication with healthcare professionals.

Observational study using a web-based questionnaire.

Women in Japan who had received chemotherapy for endometrial or ovarian/fallopian tube cancer were enrolled. Healthcare professionals, including obstetrics and gynaecology physicians, nurses and pharmacists, who administered chemotherapy to these patients, were also enrolled.

AEs that patients wished to avoid or found distressing; varied perceptions of AEs before and after treatment; discrepancies in the communication of AEs between patients and healthcare professionals; administration time and intervals between hospital visits patients found distressing; patient awareness of dose adjustment (reduction, interruption or discontinuation) to suppress AEs.

Participants comprised 153 physicians, 166 nurses, 154 pharmacists and 154 patients. Nausea/vomiting (28.6%), alopecia (18.2%) and peripheral neuropathy (9.1%) were the most distressing AEs overall. Physicians rated nausea/vomiting lower (15.4%) and alopecia higher (38.2%) than patients, while pharmacists emphasised peripheral neuropathy (25.7%). Many patients found AEs, including peripheral neuropathy (53/99), fatigue (52/105) and alopecia (46/120), to be more severe than expected. Communication patterns revealed that 49.4% of patients reported all symptoms, even uncertain ones, but younger patients tended to communicate fewer symptoms. Physicians (54.2%), nurses (92.2%) and pharmacists (85.7%) preferred full disclosure of symptoms. While 28.6% of patients wished to avoid dose reductions because of fears of disease progression, 18.2% preferred dose reduction or discontinuation when AEs became intolerable. Drug administration times and visit intervals influenced patient distress. Treatment administration of over 3 hours (19.5%) and visits occurring more frequently than once every 3 weeks (27.3%) were the most distressing.

This study highlights discrepancies in AE perceptions and communication between patients and healthcare professionals, emphasising the need for tailored communication strategies and shared decision-making to improve cancer treatment experiences and outcomes.

jRCT1040220088, Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (jRCT).