Medical oncologists and patients with advanced cancer struggle to discuss prognosis, goals,
options, and values in a timely fashion. As a consequence, many patients die receiving …

Oncologists frequently approach patients to discuss difficult topics, such as bad news about
cancer progression and referrals to palliative care and hospice. To communicate effectively …

Conversations about dying involve interaction on multiple intellectual and emotional levels.
The paradigm of clinicians as existential messengers is characterized by process and …

Death has a different meaning for everyone it touches, and these meanings have serious
impact on how each person communicates with others as they deal with it together. This …

Patients undergo multiple transitions during the course of their cancer care. Oncologists are
uniquely positioned to help patients through these transitions. When patients' situations …

Conversations about death and dying are a crucial part of all medical care and are
particularly relevant in the field of oncology. Patients express a desire to have discussions …

The best and worst part of practicing oncology is the attachment to patients. Without this
attachment, the work would be unbearable and unsatisfying. With this attachment, however …

Introduction Cancer care involves addressing patient emotion. When patients express
negative emotions, empathic opportunities emerge. When oncologists respond with a …

Empathy in medicine matters. A doctor reflects on his experience as a patient and the need
for clinicians to re-engage with patients empathically while giving the best care possible. In …

Cancer communication near the end of life has a growing evidence base, and requires
clinicians to draw on a distinct set of communication skills. Patients with advanced and …