byAmerican College of Surgeons

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Facing a cancer diagnosis can be one of the most stressful times for patients and their loved ones. When seeking a surgeon for treatment, providing emotional support and helping patients manage expectations are among the top areas of communication valued by patients, according to a new systematic review.

The research was presented at the American College of Surgeons (ACS)Clinical Congress 2025, held in Chicago, October 4–7.

"Surgical oncologists play a pivotal role in the care of patients with many types of cancer, often serving as the initial point of contact forhealth care delivery," said Shruti Koti, MD, first author of the study and a resident in the department of surgery at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, New York. "With this research, we sought to provide guidance for surgical oncologists on approaching these difficult and often complex conversations."

While previous research has shown that effective communication between surgeons and patients can boost outcomes and motivate patients to follow through with treatment, very little research has investigated the patient perspective, the authors said.

To analyze the existing data on patient perspectives incancer care, researchers examined 2,402 studies using research databases. They identified 15 studies that met their inclusion criteria, which included both qualitative and quantitative studies.

Six overarching areas of communication were identified in the review:

"Going into this review, we had no idea whether patients wanted to see their surgeon use a very direct and fact-based approach, or if they preferred surgeons who were more hopeful, optimistic, and appeared invested in their emotional well-being," Dr. Koti said.

"We ended up finding that patients really look for emotional support from their surgeons, and they find a lot of value in surgeons sitting down and being upfront with them, but in a very hopeful way that maintains optimism."

Dr. Koti added that while surgeons aren't always trained incommunication skillsin the same way as they are for performing surgery, research like this helps to break down communication into concrete, manageable components that can be practiced and perfected, just like a procedural skill.

"Effective communication is crucial in patient care, and has been linked to improved patient outcomes, increased satisfaction, and better adherence to treatment," she said.

"Recognizing important domains of communication can help both patients and surgeons, as well as other members of the health care team, approach a common understanding."

The review is limited by the relatively small sample size of 15 studies, few of which reported demographic information such as education level, income, and insurance status of the patients. Additionally, none of the studies reported how the surgeon's characteristics, including age, race, and gender, impacted patient perspectives.

Future studies will investigate how these factors may impact patient preferences for communication.

More information: Koti S, et al. Six Domains of Communication: Findings from a Systematic Review of Patient Communication Preferences in Surgical Oncology, Scientific Forum, American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2025.

Provided by American College of Surgeons