should surgeons match patients desired level of involvement?
PURPOSE: To describe desired and actual roles in treatment decision making among patients with early-stage breast cancer, identify how often patients’ actual roles matched their desired roles, and examine whether matching of actual and desired roles was associated with type of treatment received and satisfaction. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We surveyed 1,081 women (response, 70%) diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in Massachusetts or Minnesota about their desired and actual roles in treatment decision making with their surgeon and used logistic regression to assess whether matching of actual to desired roles was associated with type of surgery and satisfaction. RESULTS: Most patients (64%) desired a collaborative role in decision making, but only 33% reported actually having such a collaborative role when they discussed treatments with their surgeons. Overall, 49% of women reported an actual role that matched the desired role they reported, 25% had a less active role than desired, and
