title: Communication of a cancer diagnosis: patients' perceptions of when they were first told they had cancer.
abstract: Fifty consecutive cancer patients cared for by a palliative medicine program were interviewed concerning the initial communication of their diagnosis. The majority of patients were satisfied with the manner and the circumstances in which the information was imparted. A minority of women were significantly more unhappy than men about the manner in which they were told. Sophisticated techniques are available to help physicians impart bad news effectively and humanely.
authors.affiliation: The Harry R. Horvitz Center for Palliative Medicine, The Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Declan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Kristine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D009820:Ohio; D010166:Palliative Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology*; D014342:Truth Disclosure