"You have to wait at least two to three hours to see the professor. There are so many people like me around, so I felt it was impossible to even ask a question during the appointment."
This is the confession of a patient in their 70s who is receiving outpatient radiation therapy after being diagnosed with head and neck cancer.
A survey has found that cancer patients experience considerable difficulties during the weeks-long radiation therapy process, including anxiety and side effects stemming from insufficient communication with medical staff and lack of information, as well as the burden of long-distance commuting. The study points out that personalized explanations and education must be provided so that patients themselves can fully understand and prepare for the treatment process.
Samsung Medical Center announced on the 27th that these findings emerged from a research team consisting of professors Park Hee-chul and Lee Tae-hoon of the Department of Radiation Oncology and professor Yoon Jung-hee of the Cancer Patient Quality of Life Institute, who conducted 30- to 50-minute in-depth interviews with 24 cancer patients who were about to undergo or had undergone radiation therapy between March 2024 and March 2025. The interviews were conducted with nine head and neck cancer patients, eight liver cancer patients, and seven lung cancer patients over 30 to 50 minutes, asking about their experiences and difficulties before and after treatment.
According to the analysis, cancer patients cited a lack of information and communication with medical staff as the greatest difficulty during the radiation therapy process. Because actual consultation time was short compared to the long waiting time, they were unable to sufficiently resolve their questions about treatment outcomes or side effects. Some responded that they had to rely on their children for explanations about the treatment because medical terminology was difficult to understand.
The psychological burden caused by unfamiliar treatment equipment and procedures was also found to be considerable. A representative example is the radiation therapy mask, a customized device that fixes the patient's face and neck to the treatment table so that radiation is precisely directed at the tumor. Although it is made to fit the contours of the patient's face exactly and poses no breathing problems, some patients may feel fear because their entire face is pressed down and they cannot move their body during treatment. A head and neck cancer patient in their 50s confided, "The moment the mask was made, claustrophobia suddenly rushed in," adding, "Even though I'm used to narrow spaces, that moment was difficult."
The difficulties caused by radiation therapy repeated over several weeks were also disrupting patients' daily lives. In particular, patients living alone were found to have larger gaps in emotional support and care. A head and neck cancer patient in their 40s lamented, "My parents live in the provinces and are elderly, so I don't want to burden them," adding, "I can endure it alone for now, but I worry that I won't be able to cope as time goes on."
The research team viewed these problems as intertwining with one another, adding to the burden on cancer patients. When treatment-related information is insufficient, anxiety grows, and when treatment side effects and the burden of travel overlap, they can affect patients' daily lives and recovery process. The research team recommends that a radiation therapy management system be established to regularly check side effects and psychological conditions, focusing on vulnerable groups such as those living alone or commuting long distances.
Professor Park Hee-chul stressed, "The more precisely radiation therapy technology advances, the more the process of helping patients fully understand and prepare for treatment and maintain their daily lives must also advance." He added, "We need a cancer treatment system that does not miss patients' questions and anxieties and encompasses step-by-step explanations and emotional support."
This study was supported by the "Cancer Survivor Healthcare Research Project" overseen by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Cancer Center, and was published in a recent issue of the international academic journal the European Journal of Oncology Nursing.
