Doctor, I don't want chemotherapy!
The primary reasons for Mrs. S's refusal of treatment related to the emotional distress of an unexpected treatment recommendation (chemotherapy) and inaccurate beliefs regarding the therapeutic/toxicity ratio of the treatment. Overcoming her initial refusal involved the use of empathy, knowledge of her perceptions of illness and chemotherapy, education regarding treatment, ample time for information processing, and the involvement of her daughter in decision-making.
Hoffman
Mark
M
Division of Hematology-Oncology, Long Island Jewish Medical Center campus of the Albert Einstein School of Medicine, New Hyde Park, New York, USA.
Levin
Tomer T
TT
D000368:Aged; D003657:Decision Making; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000523:psychology