Do Cancer Patients Prefer to Know the Diagnosis? A Descriptive Study Among Iranian Patients.

Background: There are important differences regarding cancer disclosure in various geographical populations (Europeans, Western Asia, Eastern Asia), depending on multiple sociocultural factors, and therefore, there is no standard protocol on this issue, especially in Iran.

Objectives: To evaluate the amount of information that Iranian patients have and their preference for the disclosure of the cancer diagnosis.

Patients And Methods: In this cross sectional descriptive research, patients admitted in the oncology departments of 3 referral medical centers, Imam Hussein, Shohada-e-Tajrish and Modarres, in Tehran, from March 2007 to April 2008, were questioned about their awareness and knowledge regarding their diagnosis.