Context.—Previous studies have documented that cancer patients tend to overestimate the
probability of long-term survival. If patient preferences about the trade-offs between the risks
and benefits associated with alternative treatment strategies are based on inaccurate
perceptions of prognosis, then treatment choices may not reflect each patient's true values.
Objective.—To test the hypothesis that among terminally ill cancer patients an accurate
understanding of prognosis is associated with a preference for therapy that focuses on …