3.1.2 Unnecessary worry relating to cancer investigations
Unnecessary worry or anxiety could be generated by increased number of
cancer investigations. This relates to the concept of ‘patient needs,
and resources’ expressed within the CFIR.10 Indeed,
service users and practitioners agreed that people might worry if it was
not explained to them that the tool provided a risk assessment rather
than a cancer diagnosis:
“Some people may not understand and they can be too worried
especially if they don’t explain that it is just a risk but it is not
guaranteed that they will get cancer, then it is not good enough
ethically” (Service User 11, individual interview).
“The thing is if you tell the patient they’ve got 1% cancer,
which is creating unnecessary anxiety, they will say doctor, you said I
have got 1% chance of getting cancer and you are not doing anything
about it” (Practitioner 2 [GP]: individual interview); “you
can probably make them more worried” (Practitioner 16 [Practice
Nurse]: FG 2).