Highlights
cancer, anxiety
CANCER, ADVANCED CANCER
Observed shared decision making was related to more tension and uncertainty postconsultation in advanced cancer patientsHowever, training oncologists in SDM did not affect adverse outcomes.Further research is needed to untangle which, when, and how adverse outcomes might occur and how burden may be minimizedPatients with incurable cancer need to make complex treatment decisions, since treatment options often have no clear benefit-harm ratio: the outcomes are uncertain, the survival benefit is often limited, and the burden of treatment can be high. As a result, patients’ preferences are decisive in determining the best treatment strategy. Such preference-sensitive treatment selection requires shared decision making (SDM).Aside from its ethical imperative, SDM has been advocated because of evidence for its beneficial effects, such as on patients’ satisfaction with communication, well-being, and quality of life.While the potential burden of SDM is acknowledged in the literature, little evidence exists to explain or support this phenomenon. There is tentative evidence that some patients may experience adverse outcomes after engaging in SDM, such as anxiety, dissatisfaction with the decision, and increased decisional conflict,The current study aims to explore whether SDM is associated with adverse outcomes, based on data of a previous study, the CHOICE-trial.