Aim To establish the amount of information patients were given at their initial diagnosis of cancer, what information was beneficial and if there were any individual factors that made patients have different information needs.

Method Ten recently diagnosed patients were interviewed using a structured format to establish their understanding of the information given at the time of diagnosis.

Results Patients who suspected their diagnosis or who had been prepared were able to understand and retain this information. In contrast, those who did not suspect or who had not been prepared in any way were unable to take in the information initially.

Conclusion The patient’s level of preparation should be established by the healthcare professional before the diagnosis is given.