Research Highlights Key Communication Skills Valued by Cancer Patients

Recent research has underscored the significance of effective communication skills among cancer surgeons, pinpointing six crucial areas that patients deem essential. The findings were presented during the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2025, emphasizing the integral role surgeons play in the management of cancer care.

Receiving a cancer diagnosis is often a highly stressful experience for patients and their families. Effective communication is vital in this context, helping patients navigate their treatment journey. The study, spearheaded by a team at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Health, aimed to provide insights for surgical oncologists regarding how to engage in meaningful conversations with their patients.

Despite existing evidence suggesting that strong communication boosts treatment outcomes, research focusing specifically on patient perspectives has been sparse. To address this gap, the researchers conducted a systematic review, analyzing 2,402 studies and identifying 15 that met their stringent inclusion criteria, which comprised both qualitative and quantitative analyses.

From this comprehensive review, six primary areas of communication emerged:

• Emotional Support, Optimism, and Surgeon Demeanor: Patients expressed a preference for surgeons who provide emotional support and maintain a hopeful demeanor, balancing factual information with empathy.
• Setting Patient Expectations: Patients valued clear communication about the long-term effects and risks associated with their treatment, as well as how these factors might affect their quality of life.
• Use of Communication Aids: Patients appreciated when surgeons employed physical gestures, such as sitting down during discussions or using visual aids like diagrams and pamphlets to explain their diagnoses.
• Shared Decision-Making: While some patients preferred surgeons to take the lead in treatment planning, others wanted to actively participate in the decision-making process, indicating the need for a tailored approach.
• Prognosis and Long-Term Outlook: Many patients sought information on cancer statistics and expected outcomes but generally preferred limited details if the prognosis was unfavorable, highlighting the challenge of balancing optimism with reality.
• Office Setting and Team Logistics: Patients favored being part of a multidisciplinary team and appreciated knowing that their surgeon was coordinating with other healthcare professionals, such as nutritionists or social workers.

The researchers emphasized that their findings could assist surgeons in refining their communication strategies to better meet patient needs. Effective communication has been linked to improved patient satisfaction, adherence to treatment, and overall outcomes.

Despite reaching these conclusions, the study faced limitations, including a small sample size and a lack of comprehensive demographic data regarding patients' backgrounds. Future research is anticipated to explore how various factors, such as surgeon characteristics and patient demographics, influence communication preferences.

In conclusion, the review highlights the importance of prioritizing effective communication in surgical oncology to enhance patient experiences and outcomes during one of life's most challenging times.