Information and support for women following the primary treatment of breast cancer

The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.comObjective To examine the need for, use of and satisfaction with information and support following primary treatment of breast cancer. Design Cross-sectional survey. Participants Cohort of 266 surviving women diagnosed with breast cancer over a 25-month period at a tertiary hospital, Adelaide, Australia. Time since diagnosis ranged from 6 to 30 months. Main outcome measures Need for, use of and satisfaction with information and support. Results Women reported high levels of need for information about a variety of issues following breast cancer treatment. Ninety-four percentage reported a high level of need for information about one or more issues, particularly recognizing a recurrence, chances of cure and risk to family members of breast cancer. However, few women (2–32%) reported receiving such information. The most frequently used source of information was the surgeon followed by television, newspapers and books. The most frequently used source of support was family followed by friends and the surgeon. Few women (