"Current", "heated rods", and "hot vapour": why patients refuse radiotherapy as a treatment modality for cancer in northern Sri Lanka.

Purpose: Significant proportions of patients either refuse or discontinue radiotherapy, even in the curative setting, leading to poor clinical outcomes. This study explores patient perceptions that underlie decisions to refuse/discontinue radiotherapy at a cancer care facility in northern Sri Lanka.

Methods: An exploratory descriptive qualitative study was carried out among 14 purposively selected patients with cancer who refused/discontinued radiotherapy.