Authors
Waseem Jerjes, Sarah Williams, Austen El-Osta, Azeem Majeed
Published in
Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education. Jul 10, 2026. Epub Jul 10, 2026.
Abstract
Immediate patient access to cancer-related results through digital portals has transformed the timing and nature of cancer communication. Although open records promote transparency, autonomy and engagement, they may expose patients to complex terminology before clinical interpretation is available. This creates a gap between information access and meaningful understanding, particularly when radiology, pathology or genomic reports contain terms such as "possible malignancy", "suspicious", "progression" or "cannot exclude". This article argues for digital result literacy as an essential component of cancer education. Patients require calibrated support to interpret results safely, avoid panic or false reassurance, and understand who is responsible for next steps. Clinicians also need training to respond when patients have already formed interpretations before consultation. Educational safeguards should include anticipatory guidance, plain-language summaries, safety-netting, named responsibility, equitable non-digital communication routes and preparation for AI-assisted result explanations. Immediate access should therefore become informed access, not isolated access.
PMID:
42430072
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 10 Jul 2026.
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