Communication Strategies for Newly Diagnosed mCRC

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Prognostic information, the goals of therapy, and treatment options are key elements to discuss with patients with newly diagnosed metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). There is a large amount of information to convey about what will happen over the next several months, and often this information needs to be explained over the course of several visits.

A certain amount of information is available during the first visit; however, much more is known after the first restaging. As new information emerges over time, it is important to plan how best to convey the details to an individual patient. Meanwhile, patients need to orient themselves to their disease and develop a relationship with the oncologist and the others involved in their care.

The panelists agree that a staged approach to communicating information is very useful when talking with patients, to prevent information overload, but also to empower them in their decision making and planning their calendars.