title: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute ethics rounds: life-threatening illness and the desire to adopt.
abstract: Originally presented during Ethics Rounds at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, this commentary on the case of a patient treated for life-threatening cancer explores the responsibilities of health care providers when addressing the patient's desire to adopt a child.
authors.affiliation: Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Margaret O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Little
authors.forename: Walter V
authors.initials: WV
authors.lastname: Moczynski
authors.forename: Paul G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Joffe
mesh_terms: D000300:Adoption / Q000523:psychology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D002648:Child; D002651:Child Advocacy / Q000941:ethics; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000941:ethics*; D003376:Counseling / Q000941:ethics; D008192:Deception; D003933:Diagnosis; D030881:Disclosure / Q000941:ethics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000941:ethics*; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology; D024382:Professional Role; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics; D011379:Prognosis; D046269:Reproductive Rights; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology; D035501:Uncertainty