Effects of patient-centered communication on anxiety, negative affect, and trust in the physician in delivering a cancer diagnosis: A randomized, experimental study.

Background: When bad news about a cancer diagnosis is being delivered, patient-centered communication (PCC) has been considered important for patients' adjustment and well-being. However, few studies have explored how interpersonal skills might help cancer patients cope with anxiety and distress during bad-news encounters.

Methods: A prospective, experimental design was used to investigate the impact of the physician communication style during a bad-news encounter.

High-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation of patients with multiple myeloma in an outpatient setting.

Background: High-dose (HD) chemotherapy with melphalan and autologous blood stem cell transplantation (ABSCT) for treatment of symptomatic multiple myeloma (MM) on an outpatient basis has been well established in the USA and Canada, whereas in Germany and Western Europe an inpatient setting is the current standard. We report on a German single-centre program to offer the procedure on an outpatient basis to selected patients.

Methods: Major requirements included: patients had to have family and/or other caregivers, had to be able to reach the hospital within 45 min and have an ECOG performance score of 0-1.