We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
Is therapeutic non-disclosure still possible? A study on the awareness of cancer diagnosis in China.
- Authors
Wang DC; Guo CB; Peng X; Su YJ; Chen F; Wang, Dian-can; Guo, Chuan-bin; Peng, Xin; Su, Yan-jie; Chen, Fan
- Abstract
<bold>Objective: </bold>The objectives are to study cancer patients' awareness of their diagnosis and to determine who tends to disclose bad news to cancer patients.<bold>Method: </bold>A total of 151 consecutive oral and maxillofacial cancer patients and their relatives were surveyed using semi-structured interviews.<bold>Results: </bold>Of the 151 patients, 64.2% were aware of their cancer diagnosis. Of this group, 20.6% had been told by physicians and 17.5% were informed by relatives, with the remaining 61.9% acquiring the diagnosis on their own. The more educated patients were more likely to be aware they had cancer.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>Despite efforts by family members to conceal cancer diagnoses from patients, the majority of patients discovered the diagnosis of their own accord. This finding suggests that therapeutic non-disclosure is not very effective at withholding the truth from patients.
- Publication
Supportive Care in Cancer, 2011, Vol 19, Issue 8, p1191
- ISSN
0941-4355
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1007/s00520-010-0937-3