Expression III (I): A Cross Cultural Analysis of Ovarian Cancer Patient’s Preferences and Expectations on Physician-Patient Communication and Clinical Management in India and Germany
Authors:   Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Gynecology, European Competence Center for Ovarian Cancer, Germany, S Kar , S Alavi ,   Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Gynecology, European Competence Center for Ovarian Cancer, Germany, Ozcelik G Oskay ,   Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Gynecology, European Competence Center for Ovarian Cancer, Germany, M Keller ,   Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Gynecology, European Competence Center for Ovarian Cancer, Germany, R Richter ,   Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Gynecology, European Competence Center for Ovarian Cancer, Germany, J Sehouli ,   Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Gynecology, European Competence Center for Ovarian Cancer, Germany
Published: April 2021

Background: The information level and expectations of the patients suffering from cancers should be taken as a basis for the treatment decisionmaking process. Nevertheless, there are lacking data in both developing and western countries. The objective of this survey was to identify similarities and differences between patients with ovarian cancer from India and Germany in regard to the information needs and expectations concerning physician-patientcommunication and treatment. Patients and Methods: This study was based on the European survey “Expression III”. The German subgroup was compared to an Indian cohort. The study was conducted in the state of Odisha, India using an English translation of the same questionnaire with 43 items. Results: Overall, 86 Indian patients (median age 52y, range 19-76 y) and 427 German patients (median age 62y, range 26-84y) participated in this survey. The most valuable suggestions made by German patients to improve the treatment of ovarian cancer was ‘the therapy shouldn’t lead to hair loss (49%)’, whereas the Indian patients whished for a treatment of shorter duration (47%). The majority of German (90%) and the Indian (79%) patients consider their treating physician to be most effective and patient-friendly information source. Fear of the future was the most difficult aspect of their illness to handle by both study populations (43% India / 55% Germany). Compared to 46% of German patients, not a single patient in India was involved in a study or clinical trial. Conclusions: The study underlines the key role of the physician as the most relevant source of information for patients in both countries. In spite of a significant difference in the socio-economic status, the expectations from their physicians found to be similar in many aspects.