title: When the physician-researcher gets cancer: understanding cancer, its treatment, and quality of life from the patient's perspective.
abstract: The authors, both medical researchers, describe their personal experiences with cancer, its treatment, and its effects on their lives. They discuss the "eight Ds" that represent their concerns as they navigated this permanent disruption in their lives: diagnosis, dying, discomfort, disability, drug and other treatment effects, dependency, doubt, and death. They also discuss the beneficial effects that cancer has had on their lives and end with suggestions for clinicians and outcomes researchers who seek to assess and improve quality of life among persons with cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Regenstrief Institute for Health Care, Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis 46202, USA. wtierney@iupui.edu
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Tierney
authors.forename: Elizabeth D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: McKinley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D001293:Attitude to Death; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010815:Physician Impairment / Q000523:psychology*; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011788:Quality of Life; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000523:psychology; D012803:Sick Role; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents