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Table 5 Oncology topic perceived importance and prevalence of current teaching

From: Oncology education for family medicine residents: a national needs assessment survey

Topic

Surveyed Group

Ā 

Residents

(NĀ =ā€‰150)

PDs

(NĀ =ā€‰17)

Ā 

Mean Importancea

Currently taught

Mean Importancea

Currently taught

Performing pap smears

4.9

99%

5.0

100%

Screening for common cancers

4.9

100%

4.9

100%

Breaking bad news

4.8

96%

5.0

93%

Cancer prevention

4.7

95%

5.0

93%

Approach to patient with increased risk of cancer

4.7

92%

4.7

93%

Palliative care

4.6

89%

5.0

100%

Approach to diagnosis

4.5

89%

4.7

93%

Providing psychosocial support

4.4

75%

4.8

87%

Performing skin biopsy

4.3

85%

4.9

100%

Appropriate referrals to cancer specialists

4.2

52%

4.3

73%

Post-treatment surveillance for recurrence

4.1

36%

4.0

47%

Managing common complications

4.0

40%

3.6

40%

Managing common treatment side effects

4.0

39%

4.4

47%

Epidemiology of common cancers

3.9

80%

3.2

67%

Prognosis of common cancers

3.8

44%

3.6

20%

Management of long term complications from treatment

3.7

18%

3.4

13%

Management of common cancers

3.5

36%

3.6

40%

Approach to cancer treatment

3.1

34%

3.7

64%

Approach to staging cancer

2.9

24%

2.5

20%

Performing fine needle biopsy

2.8

15%

2.9

21%

Performing bone marrow biopsy

1.8

3%

1.5

0%

  1. aLikert scale out of 5, 5ā€‰=ā€‰very important, 1ā€‰=ā€‰not important