The Effectiveness of Patient Education in Reducing Anxiety and Increasing Comprehension for Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy

In 2016, it was estimated that approximately 1,685,210 new cases of cancer would be diagnosed in the United States that year, and that 595,690 people would die from the disease (National Cancer Institute, 2018) The diagnosis of cancer can greatly affect the quality of life of patients and their families, and patients often experience varying levels of anxiety and distress throughout the diagnostic and treatment process (National Cancer Institute, 2018). Anxiety is defined as fear, dread, and uneasiness caused by stress, which can be caused by both the diagnosis and treatment of cancer (Andersen & Tewfik, 1985). Patient education has been shown to reduce anxiety in a wide range of patients, including those diagnosed with cancer (McPherson, Higginson, & Hearn