Emotional impact of Positon Emission Tomography (PET) in oncology:: Pilot study of link between comprehension of medical information and emotional feelings

The aim of this study was to assess 1) anxiety and depression felt by patients exposed to the PET, 2) comprehension of the methods and objectives of the examination, and 3) links between the contribution of information on the conduct and the object of this examination, the anxiety and depression felt by patients before and after the PET. Thirty cancer patients completed the same questionnaire four times: 1) one week before the PET, 2) just before the PET, 3) just before the consultation to receive the results, and 4) 15 days after the results notification. In addition to general information, these questionnaires dealt with level of anxiety (STAI), level of depression (CES-D) and the general comprehension of the methods and objectives of the PET. Overall, patients' anxiety levels are generally increased, and this is irrespective of when the questionnaire is completed. Furthermore, patients are more anxious before the PET than during the consultation to receive the results and 15 days later. No effect was found for depression. The majority of patients considered they had received sufficient information about the examination, and correct response scores for the medical information questionnaire were high. Only three items were not really understood. Furthermore, anxiety, depression and medical information about the conduct and the object of this examination seem not to be related either before or after the PET.